Stop inviting herdsmen without Emir’s knowledge, Kwara govt tells community leaders

AS herdsmen/farmers clash reverberates in all parts of the country, Kwara state government has directed community leaders to stop inviting herdsmen or other individuals into their communities without knowledge of the Emir of Ilorin and Chairman, Kwara State Traditional Council of Chiefs, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Media and Communications, Dr Muyideen Akorede, on Thursday said that the directive was issued by the Security Council at its meeting on Wednesday in Ilorin.

The statement said that the council, which was chaired by Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, also directed the State Police Command to ensure compliance with the compensation mechanism earlier put in place by the State Security Council as an instrument to maintain peace between farmers and herdsmen.

The council, which was briefed and took note of the developments in the fight against insurgency in the North-East of the country, urged security agencies in the state to increase surveillance and advised citizens to remain vigilant to prevent infiltration of the state by undesirable elements.

The statement also noted that the council has received and took note of reports of cultism and other related activities in the state, and restated its call on landlords to properly scrutinize their prospective tenants before accommodating them.

Residents were also urged to be security conscious and report any suspicious activities or movement to the appropriate authorities.

The state government also called on the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to intensify their campaign against the abuse of prescription of drugs and other illicit drugs in the State.

Also, the statement noted that the council took note of what it considered the ongoing violations of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Code on political news and programmes as well as suspected hate speech on radio and television stations.

It, therefore, called on the broadcasting stations and individuals involved in such infractions to avoid actions capable of fanning the ember of disunity and causing a breach of public peace and order in the State.

The council also directed security agencies and other relevant government bodies to draw the attention of the affected media houses to these infractions of the law and the consequences of continued violations of extant laws.

Beside Governor Ahmed, the security council meeting also had in attendance the deputy governor, Elder Peter Kisira, Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Isiaka Gold, State Attorney-General, Barr Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN, Chief of Staff, Government, Alhaji Yusuf Baba Wahab, and heads of security agencies in the state.