Empower vigilante groups to tackle herdsmen attacks, Oyo Assembly tells Ajimobi

The Oyo House of Assembly has called on Governor Abiola Ajimobi to equip and empower vigilante groups across the state, especially in rural areas, to be able to tackle threats posed by herdsmen to farmers.

Specifically, the Assembly urged Ajimobi to consider giving vigilante groups salary and mandate the Chairmen of local government areas and local council development areas to recruit more vigilante members.

The Assembly’s call was drawn from the prayers of deputy Speaker, Honourable Abdulwasi Musah, in a matter of urgent public importance entitled, “Gruesome Murder of a SARS Officer in Saki by suspected Fulani Herdsmen and Need for all hands to be on deck”, on Tuesday’s plenary.

He argued that those vigilante groups were more rooted in rural communities and would be able to effectively protect farmers and rural dwellers who had become vulnerable to incessant herdsmen attacks.

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Musah pointed out that empowering vigilante groups was not undermining the capabilities of the conventional security agencies like the army, police force, DSS and Civil Defence, but vesting them with powers to be more involved in arresting herdsmen attacks and similar crimes in rural areas.

The Assembly noted recent instances of herdsmen attacks such as the killing of a senior officer of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, ASP Sheu Magu, reported the killing of a farmer in Iseyin, among others in the Oke-Oke Ogun area of the state, as evidence that the issue required urgent attention.

The Honourable Michael Adeyemo led Assembly further urged the state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Odude, to ensure that his men were always on red alert at communities around farm settlements and rural local councils.

In addition, the Assembly urged the state government to organise regular meetings between Fulani herdsmen and locals as well as security agencies in the state.

In the same vein, member representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa federal constituency, Honourable Abiodun Olasupo, has called on security agencies to bring to book the killers of a farmer who was recently killed in Isalu community in Iseyin local government of Oyo state.

Olasupo said it was imperative for the federal government to give a marching order to security agencies to quell herdsmen attacks through special operations like “Operation Python Dance” and “Lafia Dole”.

He condemned incessant herdsmen attacks, calling on the federal government to provide a lasting solution to the issue in the interest of peaceful coexistence in the country.