In the past two and a half years, killer herdsmen have fast become serious security threat across the nation, kidnapping and killing innocent citizens in their farms . They are also reported to rape women and girls in their farms. Even worse is the fact that their victims are usually slaughtered like their rams and cattle indicating that the killer herdsmen have no respect whatsoever for human life.
Edo State has had more than its fair share from activities of the marauding killers as no fewer than twenty citizens have been killed while dozens others have been wounded. Unfortunately, too, their murderous activities have defiled the laws of the land and seemed to be overwhelming for the various security agencies. Worse still is the outcry by even respected citizens that security agencies are colluding with the murderers to further annihilate hapless citizens. Elder Statesman, Retired Major-General Theophilus Danjuma openly accused the military in Taraba Stateof colluding with the herdsmen to murder innocent citizens of his state, urging Nigerians to rise up and defend themselves.
Danjuma is not alone in the cry. Governor and Chief Security Officer of Benue State, Orthom has been shouting hoarse that security operative were aiding the herders to kill Benue people in their farms. In Zamfara, Ekiti, Enugu, Oyo, Delta, and so many other states across the country, the story is heart-rending.
Back to Edo State. In February this year, the Edo State Government banned night grazing and the carrying of guns by herders in the state. It also set up a seven-member committee in each of the local government areas of the state to check clashes between herders and farmers.
The committees include chairpersons of the various Local Government Areas, the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), representatives of State Security Service and four representatives of communities.
Government did not just come up with the decision to strengthen security in the State. The decisions were the product of a meeting of Governor Godwin Obaseki with heads of Hausa/Fulani communities from the 18 LGAs in the state.
Mr.Obasaki promised that the government would release the report of clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the state to the committees for review.
Part of the plan was that the committees will ensure the registration of all the Seriki Fulani in every community across all the local government areas and the Seriki Fulani will liaise with everyone rearing cattle in the area.
At the highest level of government, another committee being headed by the governor was put in place. The committee include the State Commissioner of Police, the Director of the State Security Service in the state, the Commander of 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army and other members drawn from communities across the three senatorial districts of the state.
It is expected that every three months, the committee will meet with representatives of the local government committees to review and examine the progress being made in resolving the herdsmen/farmers’ clashes in the state.
The Governor had barely finished all these arrangements when herdsmen unleashed mayhem on Odiguetue, and Odighi communities, largely an agrarian community, maiming and killing several farmers and their spouses as well as their workers.
The Governor was forced to announced a 90-day ban on all forms of grazing in the two communities and environs in Ovia North-East local government area of the State, as an interim measure to forestall further killings and destruction of properties in the affected areas.
The governor also set up a special taskforce to comb out and arrest on sight, all herdsmen from all forests and communities, for vetting and enumeration. This was at a meeting with members of Odighi, Owan and Odiguetue communities at the palace of the Enogie of Odighi Community.
This also came on the heels that bloodthirsty and devilish Fulani herdsmen attacked and kidnapped a Pastor of the Church of God Mission, Pastor Pius Eromosele and a farmer from his farm in Odighi community. The pastor was later found killed and abandoned by the callous killers after their demand for a ransom of N4million naira was not met. The pastor was found dead with his skull cut with a cutlass and his two hands cut off as well after he was shot at close range.
Another unidentified body was also found in a shallow grave in the pastor’s farm when hunters and vigilante group went into the bush in search of the pastor.
Angry family members of the deceased while protesting the killing, took his corpse in a casket to barricade the entrance into Dennis Osadebey Avenue-Government House in Benin.
The protesters have all grounds to be angry, but t from all sense of the growing anger, the performing governor of Edo State is now being distracted by all these trouble. Besides monies that would have been channeled into development of the state are now being diverted to security matters caused by aliens in the state.
This no doubt got our revered monarch, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare11 and the best reformist of our time worried as he mobilized other traditional rulers in the state to intervene and ensure security of Edo people in their God-given land. The Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs rose from a meeting with a resolve to establish Neighbourhood Watch and Vigilante Groups to help check activities of the killer herdsmen and other security challenges confronting the people.
The Benin monarch reminded traditional rulers that they must protect their people by helping the state government and security agencies with useful information that could lead to the tracking down of the evil acts of herdsmen and other criminal elements in the society.
Security agencies in Edo State must rise up to their responsibilities by ensuring the protection of lives and property of Edo people. They must not be seen to be colluding with the murderous herdsmen. They should work with the traditional rulers and government to rid Edo State of killer herdsmen.
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• Mr. Dan Owegie is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Edo State.
