THE Minister of Defence, Mansur Muhammad Dan-Ali, said yesterday that the recent massacre of innocent people by suspected Fulani herdsmen in parts of the country, especially Benue,was a result of the promulgation of anti-open grazing laws and blockade of grazing routes.
He also said the Federal Government has directed security agencies to tackle the propagation of hate speech, especially through social media, adding that government has also agreed to pay $494 million for the purchase of Super Tucoma aircraft from the United States, with the deadline for payment set for February 20.
Dan-Ali, who fielded questions from State House correspondents after the quarterly National Security Council meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said: “Yes, we did discuss solutions to the clashes. First, I talked about this commission on proliferation of arms into the country. You see, whatever crisis that happens at any time, there are remote and immediate causes.
“Look at this issue (killings in Benue and Taraba). What is the remote causes of this farmers’ crisis? Since the nation’s Independence, we know there used to be a route which the cattle rearers take because they are all over the nation. You go to Bayelsa, Ogun, you will see them. If those routes are blocked, what do you expect will happen?
Herdsmen are also Nigerians
“These people are Nigerians. It is just like one going to block shoreline, does that make sense to you? These are the remote causes of the crisis. But the immediate cause is the grazing law.
“These people are Nigerians and we must learn to live together with each other. Communities and other people must learn how to accept foreigners within their enclave. Finish!”
Asked if he was justifying the killings because of blocking of the routes, the minister said: “You are going away from what I came here to do. However, this is internal security, I can provide some answers. I have told you that the remote cause is part of the grazing law. Since independence there are clear routes where these people pass.
Benue: It’s a communal issue
“On the issue of arms, they are all over. In those killings you are talking about, there are also militias that also did the killings. Some people were caught with arms and they call themselves forest guards or whatever, with AK-47.
“There is nowhere in this country where arms are allowed to be carried, apart from security forces. So anybody carrying any arms is doing so illegally. Militias were caught in the same land doing the same killings, so the killings are not done by any particular group; it’s a communal issue.”
Benue killings carried out by foreign militias
Asked if the killings were perpetrated by foreign terrorists or militias, Dan-Ali said: “Of course, that is why I said they are militias. Militias are part of illegal immigrants. They are the people.”
On the composition of the proliferation of arms commission, the minister said members of the National Commission were drawn from all security services, including the Office of the National Security Adviser, Ministry of Defence as well as Ministry of Interior, adding that it would be headed by a retired general.
On whether the security meeting discussed the issue of ranching, which is the internationally accepted practice, against grazing, Dan-Ali said: “This is clearly the Minister of Agriculture’s issue. Like I have said, what we had before now were clearly demarcated routes.
“You are talking about ranches and colonies, all are the same but we have a collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Agriculture. They are trying to come up with what they call agro-rangers.”
On hate speech through social media, the minister described the trend as worrisome, saying “relevant security agencies should as a matter of urgency tackle the propagation of hate speech through the social media, particularly by some notable Nigerians.’’
Other issues
On other issues discussed at the security meeting, the minister said: “Like we always do quarterly, we do have security briefing with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is like a routine event after each quarter, normally we discuss general security appraisal within the quarter.
“It normally gives us the opportunity to brief the Commander-in-Chief of the activities of the services and the intelligence community. It could be recalled that not quite long, around November last year, we deliberated on the Armed Forces Council which approved the revised terms and conditions of service for officers and soldiers.
“We also discussed some of the welfare issues of the Armed Forces and the security agencies in general.
“This one is not an exception; we discussed some of the security challenges within the quarter. We also had the opportunity to discuss some of the major events that took place within the quarter.
“From the ministry’s side, we discussed how we intend to curtail proliferation of arms into the country. A presidential approval was given to my office, in conjunction with the National Security Adviser to come up with a Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons Restriction and Proliferation in the country, thereby coming to what the Economic Community of West African Convention said, that each country within the ECOWAS should have such a commission.
“We have already outlined work of the committee which will soon start. It is supposed to be inaugurated today (yesterday) at the NSA’s office, where the terms and conditions on how PRESCOM will be transformed into a full commission. The commission is to ensure drastic reduction of arms proliferation in the country.
Vanguard
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