The Senator representing Bayelsa West at the National Assembly, Senator Seriake Dickson has consoled the Governor of Benue State, Fr. Hyacinth Alia, as well as officials of the Plateau State Government over the dastardly and callous massacres that occurred recently in communities in the two states.
He said, ”on behalf of my family and the good people of my Senatorial District, and on behalf of all Nigerians of goodwill, I condol with the people of Benue and Plateau states over the dastardly and callous massacres that occurred recently in communities in the two states.
Dickson noted that Benue, Plateau, Zamfara, Southern Kaduna, and some other states in the country have borne the brunt of criminality, lawlessness, and brutality in a genocidal magnitude and frequency.
Dickson who condemned the incessant attacks on innocent souls by bandits, noted that this has brought insurgency that has bedeviled the northeastern part of the country.
“Not only are armed gunmen terrorizing and ransacking hapless communities, and committing mass murders in these states, but the level of banditry, kidnapping, and killing has affected many other states as well, almost to the point of eclipsing the Boko Haram insurgency that bedeviled the northeastern part of our country years ago.
“At this point, the leadership of this country and the topmost hierarchy of the security architecture need to really sit down and have a frank and honest conversation about what to do, and do it fast,” he said.
According to him, there are many factors involved in this national security crisis, such as competition for resources leading to farmers/herders clashes, activities of illegal miners, criminal displacement of indigenous people for land acquisition, and activities of criminals, kidnappers and bandits, climate crisis, etc.
Dickson noted that while there were elements of banditry and sheer criminality that have nothing to do with competition for resources, there was also a well-known angle that has to do with perennial clashes between herdsmen and farmers in communities across the country.
“The time has come for everyone to see this problem as an existential Nigerian issue of national security that needs to be addressed, devoid of ethnicity, religion, politics and sentiments that normally colour national discourses.
”This was why, at the floor while contributing to a motion on this, I urged the Senate to resolve to implementing mandatory ranching, support and orientation even for the herdsmen, followed by the prohibition of open grazing nationwide.
“Using the newly established Ministry of Livestock, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other institutions.
”We must create a mechanism and funding for compulsory ranching and support policy for livestock, herders, aquaculture and all other agribusinesses across the country.
“A plan should be made to strengthen all the security agencies and community leaders to work together to combat and flush out all bandits and criminals from our rural areas and forests and enforce prohibition of open grazing throughout Nigeria. The Senate adopted the motion.
“We must do this as a national imperative without politics or sentiments.
“It is not acceptable in this country or any other, for people wherever they are to be attacked, maimed, killed, and communities ransacked at will without consequences, while the rest of the country and the world move on. It is the clearest evidence of State failure and collapse.
“In the coming days, I hope to raise these issues with the relevant authorities,” Dickson added.