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From: Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka The Anambra State House of Assembly has been told of the alleged rampaging activities of herdsmen in some communities in the state.
Two members of the House, Hon. Victor Okoye, representing Anambra West Constituency and Hon. Romanus Obi, representing Orumba North Constituency, who raised the alarm on the floor of the Assembly, said the recent activities of the herdsmen were worrisome and call for immediate reaction.
According to Okoye, who is the Majority Leader of the House, some suspected Fulani herdsmen recently attacked some communities in Anambra West Local Government Area of the state, destroying crops and sacking many of farmers from their farmlands.
In a motion titled, “Need to curtail the activities of Fulani Herdsmen in Anambra State,” the lawmaker said that the leaders of the herdsmen in the state should be made to abide by the agreement they reached with the state government on the activities of the Herdsmen.
He expressed worry that the Federal Government appeared to have left the people to their fate and urged the State Government to intervene and stop the carnage in his constituency occasioned by the activities of the Fulani herdsmen.
The lawmaker noted that since the destructive attack, no farmer in the affected communities has engaged in farming activities for fear of being killed.
Also speaking in the same manner, Hon. Obi regretted that despite measures put in place by the Federal Government to end incessant clashes between herdsmen and farmers, such as carving some areas as grazing routes, destruction of farm lands by herdsmen cattle still persists.
According to Hon. Obi, , “I am concerned about the heinous and criminal activities being perpetrated by Fulani herdsmen who in the violent act of ravaging communities, depriving persons of right to life and prosperity, raping, defiling women and destroying farms, crops amongst other criminal activities across the country.
“Despite the public outcry and previous resolutions of the National Assembly as regards the criminal activities of herdsmen, there seems to be no visible action on the part of government to curtail, abate or totally stop the criminal activities of these criminal elements among Fulani herdsmen.”
Quoting Section 33(1) of chapter (iv) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), Hon. Obi said “Every person has a right to life and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life, save in the execution of a court sentence in respect of criminal offence of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria.
“The Africa Chatter on Human and Peoples Right of which Nigeria is a signatory also provides for Right to Life and Respect for Integrity of Persons, Freedom from Slavery, Torture, Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading treatment.
“Section 43 of the constitution provides that every citizen shall have a right to acquire and own immovable property anywhere in Nigeria. The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) in section 14(b) clearly provides that the Security and Welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.”
Hon. Obi, therefore, warned that the situation might get worse if drastic action was not taken to curtail the activities of Fulani herdsmen, “We cannot continue to live like this in the country, the Federal Government, should as a matter of urgency, step in and curb the criminal activities of these herdsmen.
