Ganduje’s call on Buhari to end free movement of herdsmen very sensible ― SMBLF

Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) on Tuesday identified with the call made by Kano State governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje on President Muhammadu Buhari to end the protocol on free movement that allows herdsmen from other countries to freely move into Nigeria, describing such call as a very sensible demand.

Tribune Online reports that SMBLF gave the position in a joint statement issued by Mr Yinka Odumakin for South-West, Chief Guy Ikokwu (South-East), Senator Bassey Henshaw (South-South) and Dr Isuwa Dog (Middle-Belt), calling call on Buhari to rise to the duty of his office to protect all Nigerians.

The group also urged him to hearken to the call of Governor Ganduje by halting the movements of the herdsmen from other countries as well as prosecute those who were committing crimes against humanity under the guise of herding.

“The call by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano on President Buhari to end the protocol on free movement that allows herdsmen from other countries to freely move into Nigeria is a very sensible demand that the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum identifies with,” SMBLF said.

“We call on the President to rise to the duty of his office to protect all Nigerians and hearken to the call of Governor Ganduje to halt these movements and prosecute those who are committing crimes against humanity under the guise of herding,” SMBLF demanded.

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The group, while recalling the claim by Ganduje to the effect that movements of the herdsmen always caused conflict and destruction of lives as one could clearly see that these migrating herdsmen always moved with dangerous weapons and were the ones causing conflicts in most places around the North and the nation at large, said the governor’s
position better appreciated the lawlessness of the armed herdsmen that had led to the loss of hundreds of lives around the country in recent years.

The group lamented the situation whereby the Federal Government had “turned a blind eye to these atrocities or making statements that tacitly encourage them,” saying it could still not come to terms with the declaration by the president last year that Africans were free to come to Nigeria and obtain visas on arrival.

According to it, this position was difficult to understand about the president who “once identified Ghadafi militiamen as a bulk of the troublers of Nigeria under the guise of herding.

“It is also worrying that while the police have been troubling those who own licensed guns to come and return them, herdsmen who carry illegal sophisticated weapons like AK 47 roam free all over Nigeria,” SMBLF said.

“It took a whole 9 (nine) months for the police to arrest some of the herdsmen who killed the daughter of Afenifere Leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti,” it recalled.

Speaking further, the leaders said they rejected the statement by the Bauchi governor, Malam Bala Mohammed, and Miyetti Allah that Fulanis were free to move anywhere in Nigeria.

The group, while asserting that each territory has indigenous owners, urging northern governors to move away from the mindset of the Bauchi State governor and support what it described as the reasonable call of Gandujle.

It warned that the peace of country “is currently under threat due to the activities of the herdsmen under whose roaming crimes of kidnapping, destruction of communities and killings of innocent people were taking place.”