Cattle rearers’ menace worse than Boko Haram, says ex-CP

Former

Commissioner of Police in charge of Delta State, Ikechukwu Aduba has raised the alarm over the illicit activities of cattle rearers, which he described as ‘worse that terrorism’.
The retired senior police officer urged President Buhari to quickly intervene and arrest the situation in order to avoid the ‘evil day’.
He also urged government to introduce the ranching system as panacea to the problem. According to Aduba: “We are sitting on a keg of gun powder ready to explode as these Fulani cattle rearers would soon over run the country,” Aduba who spoke in an interview in Asaba, Delta State said that the federal government and the National Assembly should address the issue or risk another war that may be worse than the terrorist activities of Boko Haram. “It is a serious issue, more complicated than the terrorists activities in the Northeast. Boko Haram war is a minor issue when compared with what we are going to experience in the hands of Fulani cattle rearers in the nearest future if the issue is not addressed. “In some places, especially in Delta State where I served as the Commissioner of Police, many people cannot go to the farm anymore for fear of being attacked in the bush by cattle rearers. Many women have been raped in front of their husbands and children. Many people killed by the cattle rearers. It is a pathetic situation if cattle eat up people’s crops in the farm and the farm owner challenges them, it is a big problem. If the farm owner keeps quite, his toil for the year will be in vain. It is a wearisome situation. “The action is affecting agricultural businesses as communities are afraid to go to the farm for the fear that one day, all their labour for one year will be eaten up in one day by cattle. If a community is afraid that their loved may go to the farm and not return, how do you expect them to go to the farm where they may meet their untimely death? This is a serious and pathetic situation that is worse than Boko Haram. They will soon over run the entire country.“I want to advice that President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly should constitute a committee that would look into the issue. My suggestion is that the cattle rearers should be confined in gracing reserves and ranches. They should be made to stay in a particular area and not to wander from place to place.
“If you look at it critically, we don’t eat beef more than other countries of the world. We don’t have cow more than other countries. We don’t export cow, yet in the countries that even export cow, there is absolute peace because they don’t take their cattle to places that they are not supposed to take them. The Nigerian government should take a decisive stands on the matter or the keg of gun powder will explode and the government will now not be able to tackle the menace of the cattle rearers.”
He also said that the police should be well equipped to enable them contend with the problem of the cattle rearers.