Insecurity: Ekiti moves to clampdown on criminal herders

Determined to ensure the security of lives and property of residents, the Ekiti State government has disclosed that it has commenced registration of herdsmen across local government areas in the state.

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Olabode Adetoyi who spoke with Tribune Online in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital noted that the registration which will include farmers would help the state to flush out criminals hibernating in the forest as herdsmen.

He revealed that herders who failed to register within the period would be treated as criminals and as well arrested and prosecuted by security agencies in the state.

According to him, the administration of Dr Kayode Fayemi is determined to ensure the safety of residents especially farmers for the government to achieve its programmes of having food security in the state.

Adetoyi disclosed that no fewer than 4,000 herders and farmers had been captured in the exercise which he said would go a long way to put an end to prevailing clashes and guarantee peaceful co-existence between them.

He said, ” The registration is aimed at knowing the herders in our midst and to identify their settlement, the herds and the people that can be held responsible if anything happens. Another reason is that we believe that there should be a relationship between the government, the herders and the farmers to ensure they live together in peace and harmony.

“Also, we want to convey to the herders that there is a ban on open grazing, there is a ban on underage grazing and to also tell them that no herders should carry prohibited arms in the state.

” We have registered over 4,000 herders and farmers in the areas we believe there could be a crisis. If leaders in any settlement can’t identify any herder, we pick the person as a criminal. Everybody must register for us to know what is happening in their area in order to ensure peace and order.”

The commissioner added that the establishment of ranching is a potent way of resolving the lingering crisis of farmers and herders clashes, saying that open and under-age grazing remained ban in the state.

“We are also reiterating it that, what they are doing is a business and whoever that approach government, we will see where they can develop their livestock because it is ranching we believe can solve all the problems we have now. We also believe that if we know the herders across the state, in case if anything happens, we will know who to hold responsible, it won’t be unknown herdsmen,” he said.

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Insecurity: Ekiti moves to clampdown on criminal herders

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