By Godwin Okeh,
ABAKALIKI – The Commissioner of Police Ebonyi State command, Awosola Awotunde on Friday tasked the herdsmen resident in various communities of the state to observe laws guiding such areas to avert clashes with farmers.
Awotunde gave the charge in Abakaliki during an interactive meeting with herdsmen in the state.
He warned that the command will not hesitate to deal with anyone trying to truncate existing peace in the state.
He advised the herdsmen to work with community police , the Divisional police officers (DPOs), and Divisional Commissioner office (DCOs) to strengthen peace in their localities.
Awotunde also urged them to stop reporting minor issues to his office without first reporting to the DPO and DCOs.
The CP maintained that the police is working hard to protect the lives and properties of every residents of the state, adding that the herders should work in harmony with the farmers so that there will be peace in the state.
He further urged the leadership of the herders to sensitize their members that are in the rural areas not to go contrary to the laws, stressing that they should as a matter of urgency expose and handover miscreants that are in their midst to the police.
His words: “Herdsmen must obey the laws and regulations of their host states, that is if you are rearing your cow in Ebonyi, there is a law in the state guiding herdsmen operations which must be obeyed”.
“In Ebonyi state, use of minor to rear cow is not allowed. There is a limited time, you can rear cow and you should not be rearing your cows in the night”.
“I need to warn sternly that the command will not hesitate to deal decisively with any act from any person or group deliberately orchestrated to truncate the peace we have worked so hard to enthrone in the state”.
“The onus however is on you as civilians to monitor your ranks and ensure the criminal elements in your midst are isolated and properly reported to the law enforcement agencies for appropriate actions. You must challenge the prevailing negative narratives about Fulani
herdsmen”.
“We will not waiver for any reason in carrying out our statutory mandate of protection of lives and properties of law abiding residents of the state” he stated.
The Chairman of herdsmen in Ebonyi State, Alhaji Ado Ahmed and the Secretary Alhaji Haladu Ismall in their separate remarks, requested that farmers should not take laws into their hands by killing their members and their cows because the herdsmen are working in accordance with the laws of the state.
The herders leadership, however argued that herdsmen who rear cow at night comes from nearby states and not herders who are resident in Ebonyi state.
