Police warn farmers, herdsmen to embrace peace

Police Commissioner in Gombe State, Mr Austin Iwar, has urged farmers and members of the state’s Cattle Breeder Association to reconcile their seeming difference and embrace peaceful coexistence.

The commissioner gave the advice at a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the command in Gombe state on Monday.

He said if the feuding parties refused to urgently embrace peace, any further clash might result to loss of lives and property in the state.

The CP said the meeting was convened as a sensitisation workshop for farmers and members of the breeders association to understand each other.

He noted that if breeders understood the right routes to follow to avoid clashes with farmers everybody would live happily with each other.

“We want everybody to be proactive in resolving this problem wether you are a farmer, headsmen, traditional ruler or security personnel, you are involved, because it crisis affects the economy of the country.

“Everybody has responsibility in this matter; we are now looking for solutions among ourselves,” he said.

He said measures taken by the police in collaboration with traditional rulers were already yielding positive result “hence the need to redouble our efforts to sustain the recorded success.’’

The CP also called on the farmers to always stay clear of grazing reserves and cattle routes to avoid clashes.

The police boss warmed parties to stop taken laws in to their hands.

The commissioner advised stakeholders in the meeting to report any case of suspected disagreement likely to cause a clash to their respective associations for onward passage to authorities for immediate action.

Malam Umar Abdullahi, Chairman All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in Gombe state called on federal and state governments to be proactive in addressing the incessant clashes between farmers and breeders.

Abdullahi noted that such governments should endeavour to adequately demarcate spaces allotted to breeders in their jurisdiction separate from those allotted to farmers to void clashes.

He, however, called on governments to provide breeders with basic things like Dams, schools, health facility among other to discourage them from migration and wandering into farmlands.

He said over 80 per cent of the problem encountered with breeders were moving from other parts for the country to another state and called for immediate and for lasting solution of this disagreements.

Alhaji Aminu Sule, Secretary Cattle Breeders Association also appealed to governments to take measures to develop existing grazing reserves to acceptable standard which would help to reduce friction to the barest minimum.