Enugu, herdsmen move to curb frequent clashes

Group questions Buhari’s silence

Fulani herdsmen operating in parts of Enugu State and the state government yesterday agreed to set up a joint standing committee to entrench a lasting peace and harmony between the host communities and the herdsmen and also to curb alleged criminalities by the herdsmen.

The decision was a major outcome of a meeting between the herdsmen and Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi at the Government House, Enugu convened by the governor who has been seeking ways to arrest the growing insecurity generated by frictions between the herdsmen and members of their host communities.

Ugwuanyi told the herdsmen operating under the aegis of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, South East zone, that the meeting was to forge a better relationship with the cattle breeders and curb on-going frictions between them and their hosts, especially in view of the recent clash between Fulanis and the people of a community in Awgu council area and Uzouwani council area of the state.

This is coming as a group of professionals have expressed surprise at the continued silence of President Muhammadu Buhari in condemning the wanton killing of farmers and families in farming communities by suspected Fulani herdsmen, saying, “It is shocking and unfortunate”. Even as they said the resort to self-help may be the option if the present situation persists.

The group of professionals, mostly of Benue extraction in Abuja, called Club de Pals made their feelings known in an open letter to the President signed by the leader, Tom Chiahemen.

The group said it can cite several instances where it is obvious the present government seem not to empathize with farming communities, especially the Benue people, thereby giving them reasons to feel unsafe under the prevailing circumstance.

The governor told the herdsmen “the meeting has been summoned essentially for purposes of entrenching peace in Enugu State. It will, however, dwell on recent happenings in the state, which are not only posing a significant threat to peace and the security of lives and properties of our people but are also threatening to spiral out of control.

“We are all witnesses to the rising wave of undesirable incidents and

criminal activities in the state particularly kidnapping, armed robbery and clashes between Fulani cattle rears and farmers in some rural communities in Enugu State.