The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has disclosed that no less than 60,000 people have been killed across the country in the last 22 years due to farmers and herders clashes as well as conflicts by terror groups, bandits, and international criminal organizations.
The Speaker stated this at a stakeholders interactive session themed, “Recurring Annual Clashes Between Farmers And Herders” held by the House Ad-hoc Committee In Gombe State.
Represented by his Deputy, Benjamin Kalu, he said: “The number of deaths, injuries, and kidnapped persons constitutes an alarming situation and poses a serious national security challenge for Nigeria’s quest to attain food security and alternative foreign earnings from the agricultural sector.
“The clashes have resulted in avoidable losses of lives and property. It is estimated that over 60,000 people have been killed since 2001. It ought not to be so.
“These conflicts have escalated in recent years and it is quite consequential to our national security.”
While noting that farmers-herders clashes have negatively impacted the country in terms of food insecurity and inflation, he called for a swift response to mitigate the issue.
Similarly, the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, represented by Professor Abdullahi Ya’u, said that the farmers and herders conflict has taken more lives than most of the crises experienced in the country.
According to him, the NSA has decided to tackle the security issues involved through dialogue, and community engagements in collaboration with all relevant security agencies.
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