The House of Representatives as well as Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, SMBLF, yesterday asked the Federal Government to stop the entry of herdsmen from other African countries into Nigeria.
Consequently, the House mandated its Committees on Police Affairs, Army and Interior to interface with the Inspector General of Police, the Chief of Army Staff and the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service on the best ways of policing and securing the country’s borders.
The House’ decision followed the adoption of a motion on “Need to stop the Entry of Herdsmen from other African Countries into Nigeria,’’ moved by the Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu.
Moving the motion, Elumelu said the House noted that in recent years, herdsmen had been on rampage, destroying farm lands, burning villages and killing innocent Nigerians indiscriminately in many states across the federation.
He noted that security agents in the country had consistently stated that the herdsmen were not Nigerians but migrants from other African countries.
Elumelu said: ‘’The House is concerned that those herdsmen who are militant in nature have consistently instilled fear in lives of local farmers and villagers living in the affected areas by the use of coercion, intimidation, brute force and extreme violence, in most cases, leaving a large number of persons dead.
“It is concerned that the violent conflicts between the nomadic herders from neighbouring countries and local farmers are escalating by the day to more states of the federation, and if left unchecked, will further threaten the security and stability of the nation.
