Foreign Herdsmen Enter Nigeria With Guns — Gov Ganduje

Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has called on the federal government to ban the movement of herdsmen from other African countries to Nigeria.

He made the call during the commissioning of 25 housing units of RUGA settlement project at Dansoshiya forest, in Kiru local government, hinting that, “This is the first batch of the housing units of 25 out of 200 units earmarked for construction.”

According to him, the call was necessary in order to “successfully and effectively prevent the coming of herdsmen from other African countries, because they come to this country with guns and other weapons. Which flame the clash between herders and farmers. As they come with such weapons, they take crimes and criminalities to the country. That movement is what brings to us all sorts of clashes between herders and other communities, apart from the farmers.”

Dansoshiya RUGA, the governor added, would serve as nucleus of RUGA settlement project in the state, explaining that, “We engage in this project for three fundamental reasons, first and foremost is to avoid clashes between farmers and herders, secondly to avoid movement of herders which is the source of conflict and to avoid cattle rustling.” Criminal activities the governor said would be curtailed with the establishment of RUGA settlement, which include, cattle rustling, kidnapping, armed robbery among other criminalities.

“It is absolutely necessary to improve and modernise breeding system for Fulani cattle. As it clear that a gallon of milk is more expensive than one gallon of petrol, it is therefore necessary for us to utilize this great opportunity,” he said. He promised to construct school and hospital in the settlement, so that the people settling there could get access to good health delivery system and be educated, promising that, “the second RUGA project will be in Falgore forest where we have recently inaugurated military training ground.”

Governor Ganduje invited Fulanis across the country to come to Kano RUGA settlement, assuring that, “other units of the housing will continue as we are receiving more Fulanis from other places.” Managing Director of the State Investment and Properties Company (KSIP) who is also the Chairman of the state RUGA Committee, Dr. Jibrilla Muhammad, assured the governor that the work done is of good quality, adding that, “We are appreciative that His Excellency does not relent in this project. It is satisfying to note that, Kano state has excelled in this RUGA project among all other states of the federation. It may interest our governor to know that, many Fulanis come to thank you, through us, whenever we are at the site Sir.”

During the commissioning of the housing units, the Secretary General of Miyetti Allah, Zubairu Ibrahim disclosed that, “Your Excellency we are receiving messages from Fulani from Nassarawa, Niger, Enugu and Oyo states, among others, that they are coming to join us in this settlement.” Ibrahim along with the Chairman of Miyetti Allah, Usaini Ganduje thanked the governor, for the kind gesture done to the herders in the state and by extension in the country