Stop Inflow Of Foreign Herdsmen Into Nigeria, Reps Demands

The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to put an end to the entry of herdsmen from other African countries into Nigeria.

The Green Chamber also mandated the Committees on Police Affairs, Army and Interior to interface with the Inspector General of Police, the Chief of Army Staff and the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service respectively on the best ways of policing and securing the Nigeria borders.

Moving a motion titled: “Need to stop the entry of herdsmen from other African countries into Nigeria,” the Minority leader, Ndudi Godwin Elumelu: noted in recent years, herdsmen have been on rampage, destroying farm lands, burning villages and killing innocent Nigerians indiscriminately in many states across the federation.

He further noted: “That the Nigerian security agents have consistently stated that those herdsmen are not Nigerians but migrants from other African countries;

“Concerned that those herdsmen who are militant in nature have consistently instilled fear in lives of local farmers and villagers living in the affected areas by the use of coercion, intimidation, brute force and extreme violence, in most cases, leaving a large number of persons dead.”

He also expressed concerns the violent conflicts between the nomadic herders from neighbouring countries and local farmers is escalating by the day to more states of the federation, and if left unchecked will further threaten the security and stability of the nation.

Elumelu further noted the clashes were becoming potentially as dangerous as the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East, adding response to the crisis at the federal and state levels have been very poor and ineffective.

The lawmaker said he believes “that it has become necessary to lend a voice to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State that a stop be put to the movement of herdsmen from other African countries to Nigeria, so as to curb the rate of crime and conflicts associated with their movements across Nigeria.”

The motion was passed by majority of members when put to a voice vote by the Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila.