Insecurity: Ekiti Moves To Register Herdsmen
As part of measures to ensure safety of farmers, their produce and other residents, Ekiti State Government on Sunday said it has concluded plans to conduct a registration for all herders operating in the state.
This came as the Task Force also arrested a gun-wielding suspect who specialise in illegal felling of economic trees in one of the state’s forest reserves.
Durodola explained that the registration of the herdsmen would assist the government to know their number and be able to trace any act of criminality carried out by any of them in any part of the state.
The herdsmen are to fill forms in which they will give information about themselves after which they will be given codes by the government.
According to him, “Government will not fail in its duty to ensure security of lives and property and this is to assist us to differentiate law abiding herdsmen from criminals.
“Modality for the registration of herdsmen will soon be out and we want every stakeholder to cooperate with government to ensure that peace reigns in our state.
“No herdsman will be allowed to kill our people, destroy farm produce and attack innocent farmers in pursuit of their trade.”
In a related development, the Anti Grazing Task Force has arrested a man, simply identified as Tunde for allegedly threatening to kill forestry guards in Ekiti West Local Government Area.
Durodola who spoke on the development, said the suspect has since been handed over to the Police for further investigations disclosed that one single barrel gun with six live cartridges were recovered from the suspect.
He alleged that the suspect had been terrorizing forest guards working against illegal felling of trees in Ekiti West council area.
Durodola stated that the forestry guards had complained to his office that their lives were at risk, which made him to lead other Marshals to the area where the man was apprehended.
He used the forum to caution those engaging in illegal activities at government forest reserves across the state to stop such act or face the full wrath of the law.
