All open and night grazing by Fulani herdsmen and underage herders have been banned in the South West zone of Nigeria.
This was one of the agreements the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, reached with the leadership of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Ondo State on Monday.
The meeting was convened between the governors and Miyetti Allah, as well as security agencies to find solution to incessant killings and kidnapping in the Southwest.
The meeting was chaired by Governor Kayode Fayemi, Chairman NGF.
A communique issued at the meeting resolved that MACBAN is a peace loving, law abiding organization which does not habour or condone criminals and agreed that open, night grazing should be banned henceforth and that under age herding is Inimical to security and hence be banned.The communique added that occupation of State Forest Reserves was illegally and condemnable and that security and welfare of the people of Nigeria is the primary purpose of government as enshrined in the 1999 constitution of Nigeria as amended.
The communique added that the stakeholders are committed to the unity and indivisibility of Nigeria as insecurity is a national challenge and not peculiar to any tribe or region but must be addressed by the cooperation of all.
The meeting also agreed that the order of the Ondo State Governor was misconstrued and misrepresented by a section of the media, as he only ordered those occupying the Forest Reserves in Ondo State illegally to quit.
The meeting further declared that there must be an enduring framework with MACBAN in a way that would help address security issues and that free range grazing must be stopped to avoid conflicts between the farmers and the herders
The communique also directed the Region to strengthen an alternative security arrangement and make them complementary to the mainstream security agencies in Nigeria even as
The stakeholders agreed that MACBAN should embrace and be committed to modern breeding process by creating grazing reserves and practice ranching to prevent cattle roaming about.
The Release finally added that a standing Committee comprising of farmers, MACBAN and the government should be set up in each state (where they don’t exist) to ensure synergy and result, harping on the need to create economic opportunities for people and reduce opportunities for criminalities in the country
