‘Illegal arms importation gave birth to herdsmen menace’

Owoseni and Francis

Proliferation of firearms in Nigeria is responsible for herdsmen’s menace in the country. A security expert, Dr Bone Efoziem, disclosed this Thursday while delivering a lecture at this year’s edition of Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN) lecture and award ceremony.

Also at the event, New Telegraph Crime Editor, Juliana Francis, was named “Most Outstanding Female Reporter of the Year 2015,” for her contribution to the fight against crime.
The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, got Award of Excellence for Crime Fighting while the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni, was named Patron of CRAN. Others awardees are the Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun and Chief Superintendent of Police, Abba Kyari, among several others.
Efoziem, who spoke on the theme: “Menace of herdsmen: A threat to National Security,” noted that weapons used by herdsmen were too sophisticated and expensive to be bought by in ‘illiterate cattle rearers’.
He said: “There is an urgent need for the Federal Government to check the entry points of these illegal weapons going into the hands of the herdsmen and the dreaded Book Haram group. The security expert noted that before now, herdsmen were only known to go about with knife and sticks, wondering where they got the current weapons from. He added: “The herdsmen are not educated enough or rich enough to import such firearms. Who then is bringing these weapons to them? “This is where the government has to look into. Government needs to know who are the cattle owners and rearers in Nigeria.
“The government should have grassing centres were security agents can monitor herdsmen’s activities if the clashes must stop.” Efoziem, however, said that the notion that cattle rearers were Fulani herdsmen was wrong.
He said: “Such connotation can only cause ethnic strife because before now, cattle rearers have been in all parts of the country without any problems.” The security expert said that the security challenges in Nigeria should not be blamed on the performance of security agents, rather, the government who failed to provide necessary equipment for them. Also, speaking at the event, the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, commended the media for partnering with the police to fight crimes across the country.
Arase, who spoke through the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Olabisi Kolawole, said the media had made crime-fighting easy with the stories exposing criminal elements in the society.
The IG called for more of such publications. He also called for cooperation by all to fight crimes in all parts of the federation. Highlight of the event was the award given to various persons in security, private businesses.