“Killings by herdsmen if unchecked, will escalate into another Boko Haram” – Senate

The lawmakers, while debating a motion titled ‘Motion on the need to curtail the activities of the Fulani Herdsmen,’ asked the Federal Government to step up action on the protection of lives and properties against the attacks by herdsmen.

Some members of the Senate have warned that the killings by herdsmen across the country, if unchecked, will snowball into another security threat like the one posed by the Boko Haram terrorist group.

The motion was moved by Senator Clifford Ordia (Edo Central)

Speaking on the motion, Senator Francis Alimikhena (Edo North) said criminal activities by herdsmen were spreading across the country.

He said, “This Fulani herdsmen issue is a problem; it is another Boko Haram that is rearing its head if not nipped in the bud right now. It is very criminal for some people to start killing people, raping them, taking their possessions and they go away with it.”

Alimikhena noted that there were roads in Edo State being avoided by people for fear of being attacked by herdsmen. He stressed that farms had also been abandoned by farmers due to attacks.

 “They will rape women to death and even kidnap their husbands. I don’t know where we are going. It is better for this Inspector-General of Police to deploy his security operatives instead of blowing whistle that is not even fruitful and searching houses in which they will not find anything.

“These security operatives can be deployed to attack these Fulani herdsmen who are destroying our people. If this one is not well taken care of, it is another monster that will grow and destroy this country. The activities of these herdsmen in Edo State and other parts of the country are worrisome to every Nigerian,” he said.

Leading the debate, Ordia said, “The Senate is saddened that on the 22nd of May, 2017, these ravaging herdsmen entered into a farmland located in Ewu Community, Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State, raped two women, Mrs. Martina Emoyon and Mrs. Ariu, and strangled them to death; destroyed crops and sacked a lot of persons from their various farmlands.

“The Senate observes that consequent upon these criminal activities of the Fulani herdsmen, youths of Ewu engaged in a peaceful protest to draw the attention of the Federal Government to the problem. Sadly, one Ehimen Donald Abuya was shot and the victim is lying critically ill at Irrua Specialist Hospital.

“Since this destructive attack, it has been observed that no farmer in the communities has engaged in farming activities for fear of being killed.”

Ordia lamented that despite the public outcry and previous resolutions reached by the National Assembly on the criminal activities of herdsmen, “there seems to be no visible action on the part of government to curtail, abate or totally stop the criminal activities of these criminal elements among Fulani herdsmen.”

Punch