Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to tackle the security challenges in the country.
Ortom in a letter to Buhari, said failure to arrest, disarm and prosecute armed herdsmen and Fulani militia has caused devastation across the country.
Ortom raised the alarm that rather than being censured, the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore and other armed Fulani socio-cultural groups and their leaders who publicly claimed responsibility for the killings and destruction of property across States of the country have been emboldened.
Ortom, who proffered a solution to the farmers, herders crisis in the country called on the Federal Government to develop a National Ranching Policy in line with global best practice in animal husbandry.
The Governor stated that a ranching policy in Nigeria will provide avenue for both crop farmers and those involved in animal husbandry to increase production using modern technology.
According to him, the only way out of ending farmers/herders conflict is to direct the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to enforce Prohibition of Open Grazing Laws passed by various States of the federation;
” Abolish Open Visa policy and direct relevant security agencies to ensure full compliance with the ECOWAS Protocol on Transhumance.”
He also advised the Federal Government to compensate families killed and those whose properties were destroyed by the herdsmen in various communities across the country.
Ortom suggests ways to overcome farmers, herdsmen crisis
