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Casting further doubt on its neutrality, FG blames herdsmen killings on anti-open grazing law

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In what would come to many as a confirmation of the Federal Government’s apparent bias in its handling of the recent killings by herdsmen, the federal government Thursday blamed the passage of the anti-open grazing law in some states as the cause of the killings.

Speaking on the issue, Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, said the anti-open grazing law triggered the clashes.

Dan-Ali, who was briefing State House correspondents at the end of a meeting of security chiefs with President Muhammadu Buhari, urged Nigerians to learn to accept outsiders in their areas.

He also said it was illegal for state governments to establish and arm forest guards.

Read also: Buhari meets security chiefs as backlash over herdsmen attacks, insecurity heightens

“Whatever crisis that happened at any time, there has to be remote and immediate causes,” the minister said.

“What are the remote causes of this farmers/herders crisis? Since Independence, we know there used to be a route whereby these cattle rearers use.

“Cattle rearers are all over the nation, you go to Bayelsa, you see them, you go to Ogun, you see them. If those routes are blocked, what happens? These people are Nigerians, it’s just like you going to block river or shoreline, does that make sense to you?

“These are the remote causes. But what are the immediate causes? It is the grazing law. These people are Nigerians, we must learn to live together with each other, that is basic.

“Communities and other people must learn how to accept foreigners within their enclave, finish!” he said.

Speaking on some of the affected states, he said fully armed militia were arrested in some of the states, adding that killings were from all sides.

To check the crisis, the minister said the quarterly security meeting with President Buhari decided to set up a commission on small arms proliferation in the country.

He said the decision was “in compliance with the presidential directive for the establishment of National Commission on the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the country.”

Dan-Ali said the Ministry of Defence, in conjunction with the office of the National Security Adviser, “has set up a committee to work out modalities to transform the Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons, PRESCOM, to a National Commission”.

He said the committee will be inaugurated Thursday at the office of the NSA.

 

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