Thursday, 21 July 2016

Herdsmen menace: NSCDC to guard farmers, farms-FG


- To successfully end the killing of farmers by allegedly Fulani herdsmen and adequately protect farmlands for massive cultivation, the federal government is contemplating engaging the services of officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC.

Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh made the disclosure while fielding questions from newsmen after Wednesday meeting of the Federal Executive Council, FEC meeting chaired by president Mohammadu Buhari at the presidential Villa, Abuja.

Ogbe said that he was in talks with his counterpart at the Ministry of Interior to work out the modalities.

He recalled the ordeal of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae in the hands of the marauding herdsmen, saying that it was one experience that had scared farmers and agro investors.

The Minister said 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.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Comment Here