Consultant advocates use digital maps to track group's activities

He made the suggestion on Friday in Enugu while testifying before the panel of inquiry constituted by Enugu state government to probe the killing of people and destruction of property by suspected herdsmen in Nimbo community.

"A major solution to the increasing complaints about the activities of herdsmen is to produce a digital map on how they graze, where they live and the impact of grazing on the soil,” he said.

The consultant said that mass movement of cattle was a major contributor to soil erosion.

He said that the major challenge in taming the unwholesome activities of cattle breeders was their pattern of settlement in the various communities where they lived.

"What bothers me most is their pattern of settlement.

"A digital map will clearly show the array of cattle rearing settlements and distributions and a picture of their migration,” he said.

Ani urged governments at all levels to give a thought to the idea in order to put a stop to the unnecessary clashes between the breeders and their host communities.

Responding, the Chairman of the panel, Justice Chukwuma Eneh described the consultant’s idea as `laudable.’

While expressing appreciation to Ani’s contribution, Eneh said the panel had never given a thought to such idea.

He said that the panel would present its recommendations to the state government for implementation.