Senator Shehu Sani
Group faults Nigeria joining Islamic nations over terrorism
Rights activist and member of the National Assembly, Senator Shehu Sani, has urged the Federal Government to urgently convoke a national security conference to address the recurring violence between herdsmen and farming communities.
As stated by Senator Sani, who is representing Kaduna Central Senatorial zone in the upper chamber of the Assembly, the summit should include representatives of the Miyetti Allah Fulani Association, Association of Nigerian Farmers, federal and states ministries of agriculture, federal and states ministries of environment, security agencies, traditional rulers, members of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, middle belt groups, representatives of communities along grazing routes, Nigeria Immigration Service and representatives from states and federal parliaments.
Meanwhile, the National Coordinator, Nigerians Unite Against Terrorism (NUAT), Jude Ferami, has condemned the decision by the Federal Government to join a coalition of Islamic countries to fight terrorism despite of the secular nature of the country.
Ferami stated this at a press conference for the launch of its national awareness campaign on “Shiite Extremism and Threats to National Security” in Lagos.
A statement issued by Sani stressed the need to immediately set up seven grazing reserves in Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Bauchi, Kaduna and Sokoto states, which will significantly stem the movement of herdsmen southwards and drastically curtail the violent clashes.”
Said he: “The grazing reserves should be jointly managed by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, National Livestock Development Authority, universities of agriculture and leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association. There is an immediate need to set up a National Joint Task Force on Cattle Traffic Movement (NATFOC) made up of the police, army, civil defence, DSS, customs and immigration.
“NATFOC should be mandated to disarm all herdsmen. There is also the need to register and issue valid identification cards to the herdsmen.”
As stated by Ferami: “We are not solving the problem by joining a coalition while the cause is not being attended to. Islamic terrorism or any terrorism does not happen in a day. If the Nigerian Army keeps infringing on human rights and nothing is being done then we are creating a society where human rights is subjected to military dictation, so people are pushed to take the laws into their hands. This is a major cause of terrorism and the government should look into it.”
Guardian