Metro
FG to deploy NSCDC to guard farmers, against herdsmen
The Federal Government may soon engage the services of officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, to guard farms and farmers against the menace of Fulani herdsmen.
This, according to government, is to permanently end the killing of farmers by the herdsmen and adequately protect farmlands from massive destruction.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, while speaking to journalists after the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC meeting chaired by president Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to Ogbeh, he was in talks with his counterpart at the Ministry of Interior to work out the modalities.
Read also: Armed police inspector violates 15-year-old
The Minister, who recalled the kidnap of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae in the hands of the marauding herdsmen, said it was one experience that had scared farmers and agro investors.
He added that the development had also affected bumper harvest of most staple and essential food items which could be produced locally.
He said: “I had a meeting with the Minister of Interior. We were looking at security situation in agriculture. Sometime last year, some gunmen went to Olu Falaye’s farm, a Nigerian in status, in age and ranking and took him away and marched him around, forced him to trek 10 kilometers, even carried him on their backs.
“Many more farmers are coming in including foreign investors and to stand the risk of being subjected to this kind of humiliation, we are talking with Ministry of Interior that we have to put measures in place.”
By Timothy Enietan-Matthews
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