Oyo governor orders armed herdsmen arrest after police officer, 8 others die in clash

macfranc007 February 20, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Adeola Opeyemi

- Governor Ajimobi of Oyo state has ordered the arrest of herdsmen carrying weapons in his state

- Security operatives weer also ordered to arrest and prosecute owners of cattle destroying people's farm

- The order came after a herdsmen/farmers clash that resulted to the death of nine people

Oyo state governor, Abiola Ajimobi, on Monday, February 19, ordered the arrest and prosecution of armed herdsmen as well as herders destroying people's farm by grazing on it.

The governor's order came after nine people, including a police officer were killed in a clash between herdsmen and farmers in the state.

The governor gave the orders at a stakeholders meeting attended by the representatives of farmers, Fulani herdsmen, security agencies and other stakeholders, at the House of Chiefs, Secretariat, Ibadan, Premium Times reports.

He said: “The flagship of our administration’s programmes and successes has been the maintenance of peace and security and we will not allow anybody to truncate this. Fulani people are good people; if not I will not allow my only son to marry a Fulani lady. We must separate criminals from the good people.

“Why will a herdsman be carrying gun? Henceforth, any herdsman found with guns should be arrested and prosecuted. Owners of cattle found grazing on farmlands and destroying crops should also be arrested and prosecuted. Any farmer that poison cattle should also be arrested and prosecuted.

“But, we must realise that some of these herdsmen come all the way from Niger Republic and Chad for grazing. Not all of these herdsmen are Nigerians.

“The people have their roles, while the government also have a role to play in finding lasting solutions to the menace. We must all participate in the security of our communities. Yes, it is the responsibility of government to guarantee the safety and security of the citizens, but we cannot do it alone.

“We must learn to live together in peace. A special surveillance unit will be created under the Operation Burst to curtail the excesses of those concerned and they will be adequately equipped and given necessary logistics."

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NAIJ.com previously reported that Afenifere, a Yoruba socio-political organisation, has thrown its weight behind Professor Wole Soyinka’s call for the use of hunters and vigilante groups to tackle the menace of herdsmen in Ogun state, in collaboration with other security outfits.

The secretary general of Afenifere, Chief Sehinde Arogbofa, on Saturday, February 17, said all states in the southwest should embrace the idea.

Victims of Herdsmen killing buried in Benue state on NAIJ.com TV