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• As Ortom briefs Osinbajo on Benue
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Nigerian government yesterday said most of the herdsmen carrying out attacks across the country are foreigners.
Speaking at a Town Hall meeting in Abuja yesterday, Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, said the government plans to make a presentation to the Africa Union to bar illegal entry of foreign cattle rearers into the country.
The stance of the Nigerian government is similar to that of Northern governors who had also said most of the attacking herdsmen were foreigners.
Herdsmen attacks across the country have caused the death of thousands of people in states like Kaduna, Benue, Taraba and Niger. One of the most recent of such attacks occurred in Niger State in the early houses of Sunday causing the death of about 20 people.
Meanwhile, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, yesterday briefed Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on the security situation in his state, particularly the challenges caused by persistent herdsmen attacks on villages and farmers in the state.
National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno was also at the closed door meeting.
Speaking to State House Correspondents at the end of the meeting which lasted over an hour,
Ortom said following intense negotiations and security operations, calm was already returning to affected communities as the farmers and herdsmen had increased cooperation.
The governor, who stressed that the federal government owns the security apparatus, added that the presidency has been very supportive in ensuring that peace returned to the state.
He said: “In fact, the security personnel are at the disposal of the Benue State government any time we make request, whether the police, DSS or Civil Defence; they are ready to augment what we have on ground, that alone is positive result.
“Benue state would have been worse than where we are today; even at the point we took over the mantel of leadership, you can see what we have been able to do to reduce criminality, assassination, killings and armed robbery to its barest minimum.
