Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed
ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi –
Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has warned Forestry Officers in the state to stop selling cattle routes as a way of preventing farmers’/herders’ clashes which sometimes lead to loss of lives and properties.
He said this in his speech while flagging off the 2021 farming season and sales of fertilizer at a ceremony which held at Soro, Ganjuwa Local Government Areas of the state at the weekend.
“We want to seize the opportunity to call on the farmers and the herders to continue to love in peace. Forestry Officers are hereby warned that we will not spare anybody selling cattle routes or areas that are reserved for the government of Nigeria or government of Bauchi State for their own selfish ends.
“We must protect herders and our farmers at the same time. The need for coexistence between the farmers and the herders is very important that is why we are very grateful to Your Royal Highnesses (the six Emirs in the state) because you’ve heeded our call and we can see some progress being made.
“But we are still getting complains from the farmers and herders and of course, from the Fulani and Herder Unions and we are taking action appropriately.
“Gone are the days when we allow people at the lower level to suffer from impunity, corruption and arbitrariness. We will make sure that individuals and institutions are not exploited,” he assured.
Governor Mohammed, who vowed that his administration would not allow criminals to take over the state and stop residents, commended vigilante groups in the state for their doggedness and collaboration with security agencies to curb criminality in the state saying that if not for them, bandits would have overtaken the state.
He said: “We also call on our vigilante especially, this is the headquarters of the vigilante group who call themselves ‘Babeli’. I’ve just discussed with their leader, who is my namesake, we appreciate so much what they are doing because without them, some of the bandits surrounding us would have overtaken us.
“They are working together with the Police and the Army and we want that collaboration to continue. We are assuring the people of Bauchi that we are not going to sleep and allow criminals to overtake our own society or our communities to the extent that they will not allow us to go to our farms.
“The challenge is ours. You should make sure that nobody stops you from exercising your liberty and freedom especially to erk a living for yourself by going to the farm.”
The governor said that it was as a result of this that the government decided to set up a special squad made up of hunters and vigilante groups with the approval of the Inspector General of Police “so that whoever thinks that he can come and put his fingers in our eyes, wherever he comes from, will dealt with decisively.”
He said that the government is getting the cooperation of security agencies but however warned the vigilante groups to “eschew arbitrariness and doing things that are beyond the rule of engagement by exercising so much personal interests in a bid to assist us and that is why we are bringing you together. Very soon, we will expand.”