North-West Governors Ban Herdsmen From Carrying Arms

North-West governors on Thursday directed Herdsmen not to carry arms whenever they were in public places in the region.

Volunteer groups known as Yansakai were also banned.

The volunteer groups were directed to surrender all weapons in their possession.

These were parts of the four-point resolutions arrived at after a four-and half-hour meeting between 11 Northern state governors and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Muhammed Adamu, in Katsina State.

Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State, who read the communique after the meeting, said efforts would also be made to ensure that herdsmen had access to improved breed of cattle.

Masari said, “Herdsmen and their family members should be allowed to attend markets and worship places, as well as attend daily activities provided that they don’t carry arms into the public places.

“Herdsmen should conduct themselves and leave peacefully with one another. Those who stole animals should return them through government or the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association.

“Repentant bandits, including the Yansakai, should surrender arms and ammunition in their possession to the authorities and to release people that are in their captivity.”

The IGP said the meeting would be reconvened in one month to review how far the resolutions had gone in restoring peace to the North-West.

“The meeting is successful because we were expecting about six Governors but we ended up having 11 which shows that everybody is concerned about security. And the deliberation and resolution we got here are so inspiring in the sense that everybody is desirous of peace. Both the Fulani in the bush and the people in the town, everybody is desirous of peace.

“We are going to continue with this partnership that you have been giving us. We will work with you in the implementation of the resolution. Nobody is allowed to attack anybody unjustly. You are not allowed to kill, so the volunteers ‘Yansakai’ have to be very careful never to take arms to attack anybody. Because anybody that does that, we will pursue that person and make sure we bring such person to book.”