10th February, 2016
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 5, Musa Daura, has given the marching orders to Commissioners of Police in the Zone to do everything possible to stem the rising cases of kidnapping, raping, armed robbery and destruction of farmlands by cattle herders.
Daura gave the marching orders to the Commissioners of Police of Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states comprising the zone on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ meeting with leaders of Hausa/Fulani communities in the states and their host communities on crime prevention and control.
“On our part of stemming the tide of increasing crime wave in the zone, the Commissioners of Police of Bayelsa, Delta and Edo State Commands have been directed to intensify high visibility patrol in their respective Commands. They must continue to raid all the vulnerable and criminal flash points and mop up all illegal firearms within their areas of jurisdiction,” the AIG said.
He also directed that all pending cases of kidnapping, armed robbery, cult related killings and other heinous crimes under investigation in their respective commands must be concluded and charged to court without further delay.
Leaders of the different host communities who spoke at the meeting, complained about armed robbery, raping of women and destruction of farmlands by Hausa/Fulani cattle herders in the three states, just as they lammented the release of arrested criminals by the police.
A community leader from Abraka, Chief David Emaniro, who commended the police for stemming the tide of kidnapping and armed robbery, said the police were yet to show any form of assistance on the issue of attacks by cattle herders.
“Our mothers and wives can no longer go to farms for work. They have killed, maimed and raped our wives. They uprooted our cassava to feed their cattle, and if we complain, they pull their AK-47 guns and shoot us. We can no longer farm again,” he lammented.
The Ozomo of Jere kingdom, in Delta state, Chief Samuel Okoro, disclosed that all Hausa/Fulani cattle herders in all Jesse communities have been given up to February 15, to relocate their cattle from the communities.
Chief Okoro said the ultimatum was sequel to the murder of an old woman by the cattle men in Jesse.
“My own farm that I spent almost half a million naira on was grazed on by their cattle. They have raped our wives and killed our people. We have told them we don’t want to see any of their cattle in our place again,” he said.
Responding, leaders of the Hausa/Fulani communities from the zone present at the meeting, said they had always tried to maintain a cordial relationship with their host communities and pay compensation for whatever farm crops were destroyed by their cattle.
They noted that most of the atrocities blamed on their men were actually perpetrated by Fulani cattle herders from Niger Republic who also steal their own cows.
Convener of the meeting, AIG Daura, in his parting words, admonished the Hausa/Fulani community leaders to always grace their cattle in the day to avoid destroying farm crops, and to also caution their children on the use of illicit drugs.