Farmers/Herdsmen Clashes: Security Expert Advocate Joint Task Force On Illegal Arms

Mr. Lawrence Alobi

A former Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Mr Lawrence Alobi has called on the Federal Government to constitute a Joint Task Force on the recovery of arms to check illegal use of firearms in the country.

Alobi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja that a situation were suspected herdsmen carry dangerous weapons was a dangerous development.

"The proliferation of small arms and weapons is a serious threat to our security," he said.

He added that if the task force which would comprise of all security agencies was established, it would recover illegal arms from people carrying arms illegally in the country.

Alobi urged security agencies in the country to begin stop and search herdsmen and other Nigerians not authorised to carry arms. 

"The security agencies should also begin to stop and search herdsmen and other people not authourised to carry arms, the operation is not only limited to the highway. "

"We should map out strategies that would be able to curb this embarrassing phenomenon that is confronting us as a nation.

"The farmers and herdsmen clashes in the country is a very disturbing situation and very embarrassing to the government, people  and all security agencies of this country,"he said.

The former commissioner of police also attributed the proliferation of arms to the porous borders country's borders.

"This shows that our borders are porous and there is need to strengthen security on our borders"he said.

He said that if the herdsmen were disarmed, they would not be able to carry out attacks on communities at will.

"All the security agencies in the country should strengthen their intelligent networks to see how they can dislodge this group of people. 

"I believe that drastic situation will require drastic action, we should put away sentiments and emotions and be objective and think about what is good for the nation. 

He warned that if the momentum the herdsmen were carrying out attacks at will was not checked, it would become more dangerous than the Boko Haram insurgency because it cuts across the country. 

Alobi commended the Federal Government for its plan to constitute a committee on illegal arms.  

NAN recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari recently directed the Inspector-General of Police to move to Benue following attacks on Logo and Guma Local Government Areas of the state.