Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State has directed the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Monday Kuryas, to within one week, produce data of herdsmen operating within the state.
Governor Obiano who gave the directive during an expanded Cattle Menace Committee meeting held in Aguleri, Anambra East Council Area, said this is part of measures to prevent farmers’ and herders’ conflict in the state.
He posited that the measure will help strengthen the state’s security architecture, and restated his stand that itinerant herders and open grazing remain banned in the state.
The governor maintained that the local herdsmen who are well known, will be accommodated, urging them tp help fish out the bad ones perpetrating crimes in the State.
Governor Obiano further stressed that all the directives must be enforced, noting that ban on night grazing by the Miyetti Allah will help to check certain excessess of herders and requested the Committee to fix compensations to reflect current market value of cows and crop items.
It was also resolved at the meeting that those concerned should pay backlog of compensations owed for items damaged during past crisis in various communities.
Again, it was agreed that the sum of twelve million naira owed to farmers be payed for damaged crops by the herders, about six million naira was agreed to be payed to the herdsmen for cows killed, as well as three million naira compensation for those that died.
All compensations are to be payed within one week.
In their seperate contributions, the South East Chairman of Miyetti Allah, Gidado Sadik, and the State Chairman of the group, Haruna Muhammed, affirmed that in trying to solve the problem, Miyetti Allah nationwide has banned night grazing.
They revealed that they are collaborating with the Cattle Menace Committee to achieve the goals, promising to direct herders to add more labourers.
Other issues discussed include kidnapping and undermanning of cows, with a view to seeking urgent solutions in addressing them.
