Senate decries alleged herdsmen attacks on farming communities

By Zacheaus Somorin

The Senate has decried increasing cases of alleged herdsmen attacks on farming communities across the country, leading to loss of lives and property.

The Upper Chamber further urged the Federal Government to curtail movement of cattle in the country as a way of checkmating criminals who disguised as herdsmen to perpetrate evil.

The apex legislative chamber also asked security agencies to urgently fish out killers of one Dr Nnamdi Ogueche recently by suspected herdsmen in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State.

This followed a motion sponsored by Sen. Chukwuka Utazi (PDP, Enugu), titled, “the existential threat to the people of Uzo-Uwani LGA of Enugu State”.

The senate also requested the security agencies to tackle, as a matter of urgency, the increasingly criminal activities of some suspected herdsmen, who had taken over the farmlands in Uzo-Uwani.

The Red Chamber further urged the people of Uzo-Uwani Local Government and Adaba Community to maintain the peace while more effective strategies were being devised by the Federal and the Enugu State Governments to deal with the heinous activities of herdsmen on their land.

Leading debate on the motion, Utazi said that the late Ogueche was killed for condemning the violent take over of farmlands in Uzo-Uwani.

He noted that Dr Ogueche was shot at about 5 pm on Wednesday, March 20, 2019, while on his way to Enugu from Umulokpa, Uzo-Uwani Local Government in Enugu State.

Utazi said that the deceased had earlier in the day, attended a meeting between herder and community members in Adaba village to discuss wanton destruction of farmlands and crops by cattle.

The lawmaker said, Ogueche, the spokesman during the meeting alleged that herders destroyed peoples’ farmlands and raping women.

Utazi said the deceased left behind a wife, three children and aged parents, lamenting that they were without support.

Contributing, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu urged the senate to ensure that state police was created, stressing that the present Police Force was centralised and would not effectively address escalating insecurity in the country.

The president of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, in his remarks, lamented the worsening state of insecurity in the country.

He said the Senate must play its part in tackling the situation.