The Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki has ordered Fulani herders in the State to fish out criminals among them in the interest of peace, even as he warned against politicising the farmers-herders crisis
He said this during a fact-finding tour to assess the security situation in Ovia South West Local Government of the State.
The Governor, who attributed the movement of nomadic herdsmen to climate change, appealed to Nigerians to seek ways to manage herders-farmers conflicts rather than politicising the crisis.
“We have had all sorts of anxieties and what I call speculations about herdsmen and farmers conflicts in the social media and the impending crisis that herdsmen been pushed up from neighbouring States into these areas are criminals.
“But, we have evidence of bandits and criminals who pretend to be herders that are involved in kidnappings and other crimes.
He said, “Though we have had a situation that resulted in conflict, our position is that we have to manage this crisis and not politicising the issue. We should all accept integration.”
Responding, the leader of Fulani community in the area, Muhammadu Buhari, called for an investigation into alleged killings in the area even as he said they are providing a database for lawful herders as part of measures to check criminal elements.
On his part, the State Commissioner of Police in the State, Mr. Phillip Ogbadu, sued for peaceful co-existence in the area while urging herders to streamline their operations to avoid human rights abuses and destruction of economic crops.
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