FARMERS/HERDERS CLASH: ILORIN EMIRATE CHIEFS CONVENE SECURITY SUMMIT
By Tope Sunday, Ilorin
Piqued by the recent renewed clashes between farmers and herders across the country, Ilorin Emirate Forum of Magajis and Alanguas on Saturday, converged on the palace of the Emir of Ilorin, to find a lasting solution to the crisis.
Code-named, “security summit”, the meeting was attended by no fewer than 50 traditional chiefs from the five local government areas within the Ilorin Emirate.
In his lecture at the summit, Magaji Nda of Ilorin, Alhaji Salihu Woru Mohammed, said formation of communal security committee with inclusion of both natives and non-natives would put an end to the wrangling between herdsmen and farmers.
He suggested that the committee should meet, at least, every fortnight to iron out some issues that could snowball into crisis.
Mohammed also advised traditional chiefs to constitute advisory bodies in their respective domains to serve as a think-tank on security for local government administration.
Mogaji Nda, who Identified peace as panacea for rapid development, called on indigenes of the ancient town to consolidate on peace that exists in their various communities.
He pointed out that it was criminal to engage in jungle justice without reporting to the police and other security formations on brewing threats in the community, saying the law enforcement agencies were in place to maintain law and orderliness.
The traditional chief said,”Nobody has any right whatsoever to pick up a suspected criminal and use harmful objects on him or her. It is against the law. The agencies of government are statutorily established to protect lives and property and maintain orderliness in our environment.
“It is our duty to report to them any action that we considered inimical to our communities. We must not out of provocation involve in jungle justice. Let us seek redress at police station or in a law court so that we would not be adding to the problem on ground”.
The Magaji Nda also urged farmers to immediately report any destruction on their farms by herdsmen to the nearest police outfit to arrest the situation in quickest time before it is escalated.
The traditional chief warned that nobody has any right to ask anybody to vacate his community as long as they hold same citizenship.
Also speaking, Divisional Police Officer, ‘C Division’, Oja-Oba, Ilorin, Mr Mukaila Yusuf, expressed displeasure over the reported gruesome activities of herdsmen, which he said, was posing serious concern to the government and security agencies across the country
He called on communities to report any security threat at the police station nearest to them to avoid jungle justice.
Yusuf, a Superintendent of Police, enjoined community heads to carry along members of their communities while taking decision on matters of urgency.
The chairman of the forum, Alhaji Abdulwahab Sanni, said the summit was imperative to remind participants of the need to maintain peace in their domains and prevent needless confrontation.
Sanni assured that the security summit would be convened from time to time to sensitize district heads on their roles.
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