Bauchi State governor, Senator Bala Mohammed has vowed not to let the state become a sanctuary for crimes and criminality, as being witnesses in the North-West zone.
The governor made the assertion while inaugurating an administrative committee of inquiry to look into land disputes between farmers and herders as a result of land use abuse and illegal allocation in local government areas in the state.
He said the discrepancies in land allocation and usurpation of passage on land for Fulani herdsmen have been the bane of Nigerians’ common heritage and existence as a state, country or nation.
He told the 25-member committee to see their assignment as the solution to banditry and criminality in the state.
“You must see this assignment as the remedy to all the banditry and criminality that has been bedeviling us, especially forces and bad practices that are forcing farmers and Fulani in the village into banditry and criminality,” the governor said.
According to Senator Mohammed, such forces and bad practices have been the cause forcing common farmers and Fulani herders in the villages into banditry and criminality because they have been deprived of their primary way of life by sharp practices.
Citing instances of what is happening in Zamfara and Katsina States, the governor declared that Bauchi State must not be allowed to become a sanctuary for criminal elements.
While warning that the state government will no longer tolerate such happenings, Governor Mohammed declared that any person or group of persons found to be directly or indirectly involved in causing such type of clash will be dealt with under the laws of the land.
“As a government that has the safety and wellbeing of its people at heart, we will not fold our arms. Therefore, it becomes imperative to set up this larger and powerful committee that is all-embracing involving all departments and agencies that have got to do with the management of our lands and forests in the local government areas of the state to look at similar problems and challenges to address them holistically.”
He stated that he set up the committee of inquiry on land disputes in exercising the powers conferred on him by the Laws Cap 25 of Northern Nigeria, 1963 Applicable to Bauchi State and Section 33 of the Laws of Bauchi State 1991 and all other relevant laws.
The governor assured the committee of government’s support, adding that, “there are no sacred cows in the government. Ours is to make sure we provide salutary effects on the polity in such a manner that we will leave society better than we found it.”
The terms of reference of the committee, according to the governor, include: To visit all the 20 local government areas, particularly government’s reserve forests to ascertain their sanctity or otherwise; to investigate and determine if such government’s reserved areas are being illegally allocated by unauthorized persons or group of persons and the persons who are beneficiaries of such illegal allocations.
The committee is also to determine the person (s) or authority directly or indirectly involved in such illegal allocation of the portion of government’s reserved areas or cattle routes; to determine all cattle routes within and outside the forests reserved and identify areas or portions of encroachment by farmers.
The committee is to make recommendations on measures to be taken to establish cattle routes and forests reserved as well as prevent herders and farmers conflict in the state.
It is to make any other recommendations that will promote the permanent solution of herders/ farmers clashes across the state, especially concerning land allocation and right of route passage.
DAILY POST recalls that on Monday, June 29, 2020, a clash between herders and farmers at Malunji village in Zadawa district of Misau LGA of the state, claimed the lives of nine persons and left many others injured.
