Kogi assembly want biometric data capturing for Fulani herdsmen

FOLLOWING the crises generated by the activities of the Fulani herdsmen in parts of the country, the Kogi state house of assembly on Wednesday tasked the state government to embark on biometric data capturing of the herdsmen.

The assembly said the move would ensure proper planning, control and security purposes.

The house at its resumed plenary took the decision following the adoption of a motion moved by the majority leader and member representing Ajaokuta state constituency, Bello Abdullahi-Balogun.

Moving the motion, the lawmaker said it was necessary to embark on the data capturing because of the increased influx of Fulani herdsmen as a result of the clashes between farmers and herdsmen in neighbouring Benue and Nasarawa states among others.

Abdullahi-Balogun said the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, had during a stakeholders meeting said he would not prevent any law-abiding citizen of Nigeria from living and working in the state.

The lawmaker said, “The state has to manage the security of people and property as a result of the influx of the Fulani herdsmen in large number. There is also the need for government to embark on a headcount of the herdsmen resident in the state.”

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He, therefore, called on the state government, through the local government administrators and the ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs to embark on biometric data capturing of the herdsmen.

Seconding the motion, the member representing Ankpa 1 state constituency, Ahmed Mohammed, said the motion was one that would ensure security and promote unity among the residents of the state.

According to him, the issues in the motion were a concern to the people of Kogi state, adding that the technology of biometric data capturing would really help in checking the farmers/herdsmen hostilities.

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“A lot of people has taken advantage of the Fulani herdsmen/farmers clashes to perpetrate evil but with this technology, we will be able to know the Fulanis in our midst especially now that our government has made the state a home for all”, he said.

The member representing Yagba west state constituency, Oluwatoyin Lawal, said the motion was timely in view of recent happenings, adding that there was the need to come up with policies that would ensure the safety of lives and properties of the people in the state.

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The speaker of the assembly, Matthew Kolawole, noted that collating the biometric data of the Fulanis from village to village would reduce the crises generated by the activities of the Fulani herdsmen.

He said the move would curb the excesses of those destroying crops and those jumping into the roads to rob and kill people would be checked.

Kolawole said the headcount had nothing to do with colonies or ranching but the need for those coming into the state to be known.