The Niger State Government has declared that any pastoralist entering the state without an official permit will henceforth be regarded as a rustler as part of efforts to strengthen security and regulate the movement of livestock.

The Commissioner for Nomadic and Pastoral Affairs, Umar Ahmed Sanda Rabe, made the declaration yesterday during the New Niger Quarterly Media Briefing, tagged A Quarterly Government Performance and Citizen Engagement Forum, featuring commissioners and heads of government agencies. The event was held at the ICT Centre in Minna.

Rabe said the policy was introduced to enable the government to monitor pastoralists entering the state and track their activities, particularly in local councils bordering neighbouring states.

According to him, before the establishment of the Ministry of Nomadic and Pastoral Affairs on August 23, 2022, the state government had no accurate data on pastoralists operating in Niger State.

“With the political will of Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago, we now have comprehensive data on the leadership of pastoralist groups in Niger State. We know their associations and their chairmen in various localities,” he said.

He added that the government plans to establish a comprehensive database within the next three years containing details of pastoralists, the number of livestock they own and their locations across the state.

“Once we have this information, we will be able to identify where they are and provide them with essential social amenities such as potable water and other basic services,” he said.

The commissioner also disclosed that the state government had introduced support programmes for women and youths in pastoral communities and was developing strategies to address recurring conflicts between herders and farmers.

He, however, maintained that most of the conflicts recorded in the state in recent times were land disputes rather than herder-farmer clashes.

Rabe further insisted that there are no established bandit camps in Niger State, arguing that criminal elements only infiltrate the state from neighbouring states.

“We do not have bandit camps in Niger State. Bandits only penetrate the state through neighbouring states. Security agencies have therefore been directed to profile every pastoralist entering the state in order to identify genuine herders,” he said.

Earlier, the Commissioner of Police in Niger State, Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, represented by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said the recent influx of pastoralists into the state was largely due to the security challenges in neighbouring states.

He noted that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to freedom of movement, adding that Niger State’s proximity to several neighbouring states has made it vulnerable to the influx.

Elleman stressed that Fulani pastoralists are Nigerian citizens entitled to the protection of their lives and property, adding that many of them relocate to safer communities to continue their legitimate livelihoods.

“As you are aware, everybody has the freedom to move from one location to another. Nobody can stop anybody from relocating to another location,” he said.

He, however, said the police would continue to work with the state government and other security agencies to profile incoming pastoralists and ensure that criminal elements do not exploit the constitutional right to freedom of movement to threaten public safety.