Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Agro Rangers Department of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kebbi State Command, has resolved 30 farmers/herders clashes peacefully as part of measures to combat cattle rustling, farmer-herder clashes and banditry among other crimes in the State.
The head of the department in the State, Alhaji Hayatudeen Abubakar-Falke, stated this while speaking with newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday.
The Agro Rangers are specialised forces of the NSCDC trained by Nigeria Army to protect agro-allied investments of Nigerians and foreigners in the country.
While speaking on their breakthrough, Falke said ‘as parts of our aim of bringing to a halt to the incessant clashes of herders and farmers, which usually lead to senseless killings and wanton destruction of property, we have resolved 30 farmer-herder clashes within this year in the State.
He said that the Corps was able to settle the disputes without resorting to the court system, stressing that ‘the two parties had been brothers from time immemorial. Therefore, they should be settled rather than taking themselves to courts for prosecution.”
He added that the core value of the present administration was to diversify the economy and improved food security, thus an urgent need for the resolution of lingering crisis between the farmers and herders in order to achieve the objectives.
‘When we were inaugurated in 2019 as the agro-rangers in Katsina State, we had received one of the most rigorous training from the Nigerian military.
‘We had been specially trained to provide security to agro-allied facilities, agro allied-based industries, investments and ranches, as well as resolve farmer-herder clashes.
‘We are doing all of these in collaboration with traditional and religious leaders as well as socio-cultural groups in the State,’ he said.
Abubakar-Falke, who sought the assistance the State Government and public-spirited individuals in the country to ensure optimal performance from the agro-rangers, stated that the department needs patrol vans, communication gadgets, body armour, motorcycles, helmets, among other items, in order to cover all the twenty one Local Government Areas of the State.