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Don’t shield herdsmen, Ijaw ex-youth leader cautions government

By Chris Irekamba (Lagos) and Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City
24 January 2018   |   3:44 am
Former president of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Dr Chris Ekiyor, has cautioned the Federal Government to avoid a situation that paints a picture of a special protection for the herdsmen, whom he said, were just a fraction of the many Nigerians.....

Dr Chris Ekiyor

• Cleric wants decisive action from Buhari

Former president of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Dr Chris Ekiyor, has cautioned the Federal Government to avoid a situation that paints a picture of a special protection for the herdsmen, whom he said, were just a fraction of the many Nigerians who are into agriculture.

In an interview with The Guardian in Benin City, Edo State, he called on government to find a middle course in creating ranches, cattle grazing and nomadic lifestyles as a way out of the incessant herdsmen-indigenes’ attacks nationwide.

Ekiyor lamented the “very porous” state of the northern borders, which he said, had allowed foreigners free access with some of them already becoming security threat to the country.

His words: “We are not the only country with cattle. We are actually the sixth in the index of world cattle owners. There are Brazil, China, United States of America, Sudan and Ethiopia before Nigeria. And these are even desert countries. They are not killing in Sudan over grazing. In America, China, Brazil, you can see that they have more cattle, but they are ranching.”Ekiyor noted that the way forward was ranching.

However, the Assistant General Overseer of a Lagos-based interdenominational ministry, Manna Prayer Mountain, Rev. (Mrs.) Flora E. Kwakpovwe, has called for the revival of vigilance groups as a solution to the killings nationwide.

Speaking ahead of the ministry’s January World Anointing Night holding on Friday at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, with the theme, Change of garment in Lagos, she urged traditional and church leaders to organise these groups to defend the people in the face of the seeming failure of the police force to the citizenry.

Besides, the co-publisher of Our Daily Manna also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to handle the menace decisively.Her words: “The problem is that the President is not doing anything about it. As President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he should take a decisive action to avoid the issue from escalating.

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