Herdsmen, farmers seek reconciliation commission

The incessant killings and attacks in Southern Kaduna and Binin Gwari in Kaduna state was brought to an end yesterday when the people of Southern Kaduna and Fulani herdsmen under the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) agreed a ceasefire, and called for peace and reconciliation commission.

This followed a two-day peace and reconciliation parley brokered by the Inspector General of Police’s security and peace committee led by the DIG in charge of operations, Michael Zuokumor, in Kaduna. The feuding communities wanted the perpetrators of the dastardly acts to be brought to book.

The communiqué was jointly signed by the Kaduna state chairman of MACBAN, Alhaji Ahmadu Suleiman, national chairman of Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), Dr Ephraim Goje, amongst other representatives of the affected communities, with the DIG and Kaduna state CP Usman Shehu as witnesses.

The communities promised to return back to the way they had been living together in peace and unity since time immemorial, and called on government to sensitise the youth on self restraint and how not to take law into their hands.
The warring communities, however, called on government to mop up arms and ammunitions, check proliferation of small and medium arms and track movements of people in the affected communities.

They urged the Kaduna state government to create ministry of animal resources and reach out to nomadic pastoralists and other internally displaced persons to give them palliatives and encourage them to return to their homes.
The communiqué said: “Mobile police and military units should be established in Kafachan and Birnin Gwari for quick response to security challenges. Government at all levels should improve on security agencies capabilities of handling crisis. There is need for joint community policing comprising of all ethnic groups to complement security agencies.

“Government should complete gazetting of all existing reserves, stock routes and provide them with complete facilities. The pastoralists should be encouraged to adopt modern animal husbandry techniques in place of roaming about with their livestock. All grazing reserves that have been encroached should be reclaimed while compensation is paid to the original landowners where that has not been done.”