Fulani herdsmen’s attacks: Governors warn of imminent food shortage

The Governors have raised alarm over possible food shortage across the country as 17 states come under threats of attacks from Fulani herdsmen.
Some of the states are Plateau, Benue, Adamawa, Niger, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Kwara, Kaduna, Oyo, Delta, Edo, Kogi amongst others.
This was disclosed at the end of the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting yesterday chaired by Vice President Namadi Sambo.
The meeting, which has all 36 state Governors as members and some Ministers, was the first in nine months and the first this year, in which they called for urgent security measures to halt the deadly attacks.
Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Governors Jonah Jang of Plateau, Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Gabriel Suswam of Benue states and Minister of State for Works and Supervising Minister of National Planning, Bashir Yuguda, said that Council  received presentation by the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd)  on incessant conflicts between Farmers and Pastorialists, highlighting on the challenges and solutions in Nigeria.

The Governors noted that unless urgent steps are taken to halt activities of the mercenaries who are terrorizing farmers in the states, the farmers may not be able to return to their farms ahead of the farming season.
According to them, displacements of farmers in the affected states “is a matter of great concern to both the federal and state governments and as a matter of fact council was quite worried about this and we feel if something is not done immediately, our farmers may not be able to work in their farms and that means shortage of food in the entire country”
The meeting has mandated the Vice President who is Chairman Council to hold an urgent consultation with the President Goodluck Jonathan “so that an emergency meeting will be conveyed of all the affected states so that we can find an immediate solution to the problem”
Also speaking on the military style tactics adopted by the mercenaries, Suswam said that some of the insurgents have been discovered to wear military uniforms during their operations making their tracking difficult.
“The fact of the matter is that the insurgents now wear military uniforms. While local Cattle grazers move around with cattle, these insurgents now come to town in their large numbers and in trailers loads.
“Comprehensive discussion was made in the council and the Governors of Delta and Edo states say that people came into their states in trucks without cattle”, adding that some of the female members of the mercenaries that have so far arrested been were found with AK47 assault riffles.
Continuing he said, “So these are not the regular Fulani we are used to who are within the country. These are people moving into our country with a mission we are yet to know. But the NSA assured us that serious actions are being taken to address and contain these people who are moving into Nigeria from destinations that we do not even know”.
Suswam  added that some of the mercenaries arrested in Kogi states are currently being drilled with the view to establishing both the source of the weapons as well as area of origin.
“The Governor of Kogi also confirmed that they have condoned an area off because these people came in four trucks. They have asked security to condone them off. It is actually a cause for concern because mercenaries have taken over, what is happening is that this is beyond the Fulanis that we know and who are part of us. These are different crop of people either parading as Fulnai or people who are Fulani from displaced areas because they are heavily armed. The Fulani around us here are never heavily armed”, he said.
Speaking on Fulani farmers clash, NEC said although a committee on Grazing Reserves under the Chairmanship of Governor Murtala Nyako was already working to provide solutions to the Farmers Pastorialists Conflicts, Suswam has been asked to join them as co- chair to hasten action its work.
A Technical Committee has been set up to come up with recommendations on how to manage incessant conflicts between Crop Farmers and Pastorialists and are tp submit it’s  report within two weeks.
The Technical Committee is made up of  Minister of Agriculture, Akinwunmi Adeshina – Chairman, while Minister of Environment, Minister of Science and Technology, Minister of Interior, Minister of Water Resources, Minister of National Planning, NSA, DG-NOA    Representatives of States are members.
Also Akpabio said that the Coordinating Minister of the Economy/Honourable Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala who earlier briefed the council,  “reported  that the Excess Crude Account (ECA) as at today stood at $3.5 billion after payments for fuel subsidy and SURE-P.”
He declared that NEC also resolved that details of spending on Excess Crude be given to States on time and also urged that expeditious action be taken to sort out all the legalities surrounding the ECA.