Police urge farmers/herdsmen to embrace peace

Nigeria-police

Police Commissioner in Gombe State, Mr. Austin Iwar, has urged farmers and members of the state’s Cattle Breeder Association to reconcile their seeming differences and embrace peaceful coexistence.

The commissioner gave the advice at a stakeholders’ meeting organized by the command in Gombe state on Monday.

He said if the feuding parties refused to urgently embrace peace, any further clash might result to loss of lives and property in the state.

The CP said the meeting was convened as a sensitisation workshop for farmers and members of the breeders association to understand each other.
He noted that if breeders understood the right routes to follow to avoid clashes with farmers everybody would live happily with each other.

“We want everybody to be proactive in resolving this problem whether you are a farmer, headsmen, traditional ruler or security personnel, you are involved, because it crisis affects the economy of the country.

“Everybody has responsibility in this matter; we are now looking for solutions among ourselves,” he said.

He said measures taken by the police in collaboration with traditional rulers were already yielding positive result “hence the need to redouble our efforts to sustain the recorded success.’’

The CP also called on the farmers to always stay clear of grazing reserves and cattle routes to avoid clashes.

The police boss warned parties to stop taken laws into their hands.

The commissioner advised stakeholders at the meeting to report any case of suspected disagreement likely to cause a clash to their respective associations for onward passage to authorities for immediate action.

Malam Umar Abdullahi, Chairman All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in Gombe state called on federal and state governments to be proactive in addressing the incessant clashes between farmers and breeders.

Abdullahi noted that such governments should endeavor to adequately demarcate spaces allotted to breeders in their jurisdiction separate from those allotted to farmers to avoid clashes.

He, however, called on governments to provide breeders with basic things like Dams, schools, health facility among other to discourage them from migrating and wandering into farmlands.

He said over 80 percent of the problems encountered with breeders were moving from one part of the country to another and called for an immediate and lasting solution to their disagreements.

Alhaji Aminu Sule, Secretary Cattle Breeders Association also appealed to governments to take measures to develop existing grazing reserves to an acceptable standard which would help to reduce friction to the barest minimum.