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Tag: herdsmen

  • Do more to end attacks by armed herdsmen, Soyinka tells FG

    Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has called on the Federal Government to do more to end attacks and killings allegedly by criminal herdsmen in parts of the country.

    Soyinka made the call in a statement in Lagos on Sunday.

    He said recurring cases of alleged  criminal herdsmen unleashing terror on communities leaving in their trail tears and blood required lasting interventions.

    Soyinka acknowleged that a few armed herdsmen had been apprehended by security agencies but said that was not enough to put a stop to the mayhem by the criminals.

    He said there were so many of the criminals hiding in the forests which needed to be tracked down by security agencies.

    The Nobel Laureate expressed regrets that some communities had been sacked by the criminals, causing residents to flee.

    He said there was the need to order the invaders out or drive them away and provide security for safe return of residents.

    Soyinka called for justice and restitution for victims of herdsmen attacks, saying that would give them some succour.

    “We must go beyond arresting a token of herdsmen caught with arms as there are still hundreds of them in the forests.

    “It is not enough to back the anti-open grazing law,so late in the day, but we shall leave that for later.

    “Right now, the violated and the dispossessed demand restitution and with no further delay or subterfuge.

    “All available forces should be deployed to right the hideous, unprecedented wrong that has left the nation drowning in blood. We simply cannot continue one day longer to watch this forceful feeding of human blood,” he said.

    He also called on the agencies to track down and identify the sponsors of the criminals in order to curb their activities.

    Soyinka wished “those who laboured for humanity ” a Happy May Day, adding that he was optimistic that the solutions to the security challenge would come in no distant time (NAN)

  • Army arrests, parades militia herdsmen in Benue

    The Nigerian Army on Saturday paraded three militia herdsmen that were in one of their camps located close to Tormatar village in Benue State.

    The Commanding Officer of the 72 Special Forces, Makurdi, Col. Suleiman Mohammed, paraded the suspects before reporters.

    He alleged that the suspects were apprehended by troops in Guma Local Government Area of the state on April 26.

    He identified the militias as Abubakar Umaru, Adamu Likita, and Yusufa Alhaja.

    According to him, they confessed to being indigenes of Awe LGA of Nasarawa State.

    He alleged that the militia opened fire on the soldiers during the attempt to arrest them.

    Items recovered from the suspects include two AK 47 rifles, live ammunition, cutlass and assorted charms.

    Mohammed further confirmed the arrest of one Aliyu Tashaku by the military for his alleged involvement in the attacks on Benue communities.

    He disclosed that the military was conducting an investigation into Tashaku’s arrest after he was picked up by troops in the state capital.

    Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called on the Federal Government to take decisive step in dismantling Boko Haram and Herdsmen in the country.

    The General Secretary, CAN, Rev. Musa Asake, who said this at a news conference at CAN Secretariat on Friday in Abuja, said the menace of the two entities was becoming unbearable in the country.

    The association strongly condemned the killings in the country and urged the government to immediately halt the murderous activities of insurgents in the country.

    “There is the need for the stepping up of interventions, particularly from the government, so that these killings and bloodletting in Nigeria will be discontinued,’’ he said.

    He also urged the National Assembly to intensify its mandate of checking the Executive and upholding the supremacy of the constitution.

    Asake called on Nigerians of voting age to ensure they obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in readiness for the 2019 general elections to vote for candidates of their choice.

    “Nigerians must vote into power a political party that will promote democracy, which translates to justice, equity and fairness for all.

    “If Christians are waiting for CAN to direct us to a particular party, we cannot pin point a party for anybody, it will not happen.

    “All we are saying is, get your voter card, go out and vote the person you think can deliver when the day comes.

    “Let us consult and find out the political parties that are there, read their ideologies and everything,’’ he said.

    The general secretary general called on all Christian assemblies, within and outside Nigeria, to observe a Sunday of mourning with a peaceful protest on April 29.

    He noted that the protest was going to be within the neighborhood, on the killings and to demand for the remaining Chibok girls and Leah Sharibu’s release.

    “The protest we are talking about is not that you go about and begin to destroy things, but when you raise your placards in front of your Church that is okay.”

  • Herdsmen killings: My heart bleeds for Nigeria -Gowon

    Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon has said that his heart bleeds over the killing of innocent Nigerians by herdsmen and Boko Haram insurgents.

    He described the killings as “man’s inhumanity to man”.

    Gowon who spoke Saturday, when he paid courtesy call on Governor Rochas Okorocha at the Government House Owerri, Stated that “Nigeria needs peace so that all the people can live and work together in the interest of one another”.

    According to the former Head of State, “with prayers God could touch the hearts of all those involved in all these killings like he touched the Biblical Saul and he changed to become instrument of transformation instead of destruction”, adding that “no situation is too difficult for God to change for better”.

    He added further that, “after the Civil War from this town Owerri, I visited Nsukka, Enugu, Abakeliki, Umuahia, and Onitsha. We were impressed with the way the children turned out to welcome us. They were saying, you are our Parents, our leaders, please do not allow any Nigerian Child to suffer what we suffered.

    “God can touch one’s heart and Change the person into becoming a vessel of Peace. My prayer for every Nigerian man is to live in harmony. We would wish, every man and woman, and religious leaders to rally round and assist in any way possible. Every one of us has a role to play not only the leaders. That is why we seek for God’s intervention”.

    He noted further that, “without peace we cannot go further. Let us continue to pray and do whatever we can to achieve the peace we all desire. Your role and our collective role is important.

    “We are in Imo for the Nigeria Prayer rally. A prayer rally we have been doing throughout the geo-Political zones or States. This time around it is for the South-East Zone to host the prayer rally and Imo is hosting us. Your Excellency, we are grateful for the arrangements and support. We are impressed with your zeal and passion for Christ, suing for peace which is what the Country needs now”.

    Governor Okorocha in his speech, advised Nigerians to see the activities of groups like Boko Haram and others as national problem that require all hands to be on deck for solution and should not be politicized.

    He noted that those who have lost their lives in all these madness are people of all ethnic groups, religions and perhaps political groups.

    Okorocha maintained thaty “Nigerians irrespective of their religious and Political linings should come up with ideas on how best to come out from these challenges and should stop talking in a manner that tends to aggravate the problem”.

    The governor added that,   “The acronym Gowon means go-on with one Nigeria. If this leader (Gowon) Seated with us here today had not ended the war the way it ended giving room for no Victor, no vanquished postulations, today, we would not be having a nation called Nigeria. His name is Synonymous with Peace. A man who ended the Civil War without bad feelings.

    “This gentleman is 84 years old. We will honour him in our State. We are happy that he is still looking stronger and young. In the face of the Crisis that we have today, he has continued to pray. I do not know what would have happened to the Nigerian situation if prayers like this, is not going on over Nigeria. Thank God, in the face of these Challenges, we have men who are busy praying for the nation and her people”.

  • Killings: Fed Govt stops movement of herdsmen

    Ranching to take off in five states

    Nigeria to end ECOWAS free movement

    ADVOCATES of ranching have won their battle.

    The National Economic Council (NEC) yesterday agreed to stop herdsmen’s movement, starting with five states – Benue, Taraba, Adamawa, Kaduna and Plateau. They are the states mostly affected by the bloodletting sparked by herdsmen-farmers clashes.

    The Council supported the immediate creation of ranches across the country, Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi told State House correspondents at the end of the NEC meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

    According to him, the five states are expected to provide land for ranches.

    He said that through ranching, the nomadic herdsmen and their families would have access to medical facilities and schools.

    Staying in a ranch, he said, would also improve the well-being of the cattle.

    Umahi said foreign herdsmen would have to show some travel documents, even though visa is not allowed for movement of West Africans.

    His words: “Today, NEC took briefing from the NEC technical committee on the farmers and herdsmen conflicts in the various states of the federation. NEC sometime this year came up with a committee following the constant conflicts between herdsmen and farmers. They came up with the committee of nine governors with the VP as the chairman, and the committee went into deliberations.

    ”After a couple of meetings, they decided that the most five affected states should be visited. So, they came up with a sub technical committee of three governors, chaired by governor of Ebonyi State, with the governors of Plateau, Adamawa as members.

    ”We were constituted to visit the five core states. Later, other states, like Plateau and Kaduna states, were also added. But we were able to visit only five states, such as Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba, Jigawa and Zamfara states.

    ”The core causes of the conflicts we were made to understand were ; perception and, of course, our media friends, competition for scarce resources and banditry or what you can call pure criminal activities through cattle rustling, kidnapping etc.

    ’Today we look at three categories of herdsmen in Nigeria. We look at the foreign herdsmen that come in due to the treaty and we continue to say that the treaty is not being properly implemented. For any herdsman to come into Nigeria from outside, there should be a kind of certification, there must be a letter, even though you are not coming in with a visa, you have to travel with ECOWAS documentation. Animals that are coming into the country are required to be quarantined, but this is not being done.

    ”So, this one category of them. Secondly, we have the nomadic herdsmen, who during the dry season, travel from up North to the Middle Belt down to the South. This crest conflicts . Also foreign herdsmen coming all through the way from neighboring countries and travelling through the farm lands also cause conflicts.

    ”Then, of course, we have the migrant herdsmen who migrate for a very long time and settle with the villagers and even inter marry with them. These are the three categories we have in Nigeria. In all, we agreed that movement is not either profitable to the herdsmen because they value the milk from the cow even more than the cow itself.

    ”So, the movement is not healthy for the cows as it dries up the meat and gives less than two liters of milk per cow per day,” he said

    According to him, NEC also condemned the issues of foreign invasion by foreign herdsmen.

    He said: “Today, there was a meeting of ECOWAS countries on the subject and we also agreed that these movements by the nomadic herdsmen have to stop and occasionally by those who have settled and integrated from other parts of the country, like the Middle Belt, they sometimes go into conflicts with farmers because of movement of their cows.

    ”So, in all, we agreed that there is a more profitable and modern way of raising these cows which is by ranching. So, we have agreed that the five states that are involved are going to give land. Niger and Kaduna, outside the five states, have given land and Plateau is also giving land. Ranching is being practised in Mambila, in Taraba State and they have success stories with regards to that.

    ”We also agreed that through the Agric Ministry, we have the need to introduce new species of cows. The minister told us that there are new species that produce as much as 60 liters of milk per day per cow, and that the cows weight as much as 900 Kgs but our own weigh less than 200kgs. So, we have agreed that we are going to work on these new species, while also working with our ranching. We also agreed that livestock production in Nigeria has not been taken care of.

    ”As we are taking care of the farmers by way of the Anchor Borrowers Scheme, of course the farmers cry of the high interest rate. The rate of interest should be between 2 to 5%, so, we should extend those gestures to the herdsmen. And it was discovered that most of these cows are not being herded by their owners. Big men buy these cattle and give them out to the herders So, the children of the herders have nothing to inherit. They, therefore, go into cattle rustling and other forms of criminalities.

    ”Through this policy and intervention in the livestock production, it will be possible for the herdsmen to own their own livestock and have something for the future. We also agreed that there is need for good life for the herdsmen. Through theses policies their children will be able to go to schools.

    “There will be nomadic education and medical facilities through these ranches for the herdsmen and their animals. Grasses will be planted, irrigation and dams will be created for source of water. Lastly, we ask the public to begin to see livestock as another means of investment.” he said

    Agriculture Minister Audu Ogbeh said that the Federal Government would not allow the killings to continue.

    According to him, Nigeria may no longer be able to keep to the ECOWAS protocol on free movement of persons.

     

    Nigeria to end ECOWAS free movement to curtail criminals’ influx

    Nigeria will stop unfettered movement of persons into the country from the West Africa sub region to curb killings believed to be carried out by foreigners, the President said yesterday.

    President Muhammadu Buhari blamed the non-implementation of two ECOWAS protocols on free movement of persons, goods and services for the lingering herders/ farmers conflicts in the sub region.

    He was speaking at the ECOWAS Ministerial Meeting on Conflicts between Herders and Farmers in the region organised in partnership with the countries’ ministries of Agriculture and Interior in Abuja. It was on a day when gunmen struck at a church in Benue State, killing seven people and injuring others.

    The President said:  ”We can no longer continue to tolerate the undocumented movement of persons that simply contribute to the escalation of our security challenges.

    “We must be able to track the movement; we must ensure that the protocols are complied with and relevant sections are activated.’’

    Represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the President said the protocols were necessary in the discussions to proffer a lasting solution to incessant killings as a result of the conflict.

    “Two ECOWAS Protocols are critical to the conversation that we are going to have here today.

    “The 1979 Protocols of free movement of persons, goods, capital and services and the protocol relating to transhumance in 1998.

    “Regrettably, what we have been confronted with over the years is the failure to fully follow and enforce the terms of these protocols and in some cases the failure to activate sections of the protocols.

    “So that where for example transhumance certificates are to be used and endorsed by medical or immigration officials; this is not the case; this has to change.

    The President said the vision of integration of the ECOWAS founding fathers must not be allowed to be derailed by the failure to comply with the safeguards and conditions that they in their wisdom and foresight embedded in the protocols.

    He said that was why Nigeria had taken the lead in organising the conference, bringing together senior government officials with oversight for agriculture and internal security in the region and beyond to proffer solutions to the lingering problem threatening national security and regional security as well.

    Buhari noted that the economic implications were quite worrisome, considering that no fewer than 70 per cent of the ECOWAS made a living by agriculture.

    According to him, many of the countries in the region are already struggling with food security and the violence, if unchecked, will lead to a catastrophe.

    The President stated that the grazing of cattle along long distances and the whole transhumance experiences needed to be reviewed in favour of ranching.

    He said ranching was a more productive way of breeding cattle rather than walking long distances, adding that the region must explore all the options and look for new and creative solutions to resolve the problem.

    He said the solution should be holistic –  from law enforcement to climate change and reforms in current methods and practices of crop and animal production.

    “We simply must move with the times and modernise our thinking and approach to the issues that face us,’’ he stated.

    Buhari said the Federal Government and states were collaborating to work out an acceptable plan to quell the conflicts by proper management of land resources.

    “We just concluded the work plan jointly put together by the states and Federal governments on the sustainable resolution of herders/farmers’ conflicts and we are now at the point of implementing that plan,’’ he said.

     

  • NEC stops movement of herdsmen in Benue, Taraba, three others

    The National Economic Council (NEC) on Thursday agreed to stop movement of herdsmen in the country, starting with the five mostly affected states of Benue, Taraba, Adamawa, Kaduna and Plateau.

    The Council also supported the immediate creation of ranches across the country.

    Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of the NEC meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

    According to him, the five mostly affected states which had witnessed herdsmen killings will be expected to make land available for the ranches.

    He said through ranching, the nomadic herdsmen and their families would be able to access good medical facilities and good schools for their children if they stay in one place.

    Staying in a ranch, he said, would also improve the well-being of the cattle.

    The governor added that the Federal Government and the affected states would still iron out the interventions expected from the two parties.

    He said foreign herdsmen should be able to show some travel documents, even though visa is not allowed for movement in West African.

    The Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh said the federal government would no longer allow the killings to continue.

    He said Nigeria may no longer keep to the ECOWAS protocol on free movement of persons.

     

  • Herdsmen kill seven in fresh Nasarawa attack

    Suspected Fulani herdsmen on Tuesday killed seven people at Ihuman village in Awe local government area of Nasarawa State.

    The gunmen attacked the community at about 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday and shot sporadically at the helpless villagers who had sneaked to the village to pick some food stuff following recent attack on same place by herdsmen.

    The victims, who had been taking refuge at Kange, Awe local government area, had gone to carry some food items in their homes when the attackers emerged from a nearby bush and opened fire on them.

    A resident of the area, Mr. Philip Dodo, who narrowly escaped from the attack, told journalists that three of his relatives were still missing since the incident.

    The President of Tiv Youth Organization in Nasarawa State, Peter Ahemba, confirmed the incident.

    He said it was unfortunate that a particular ethnic nationality could be targeted for extermination, adding the matter had been reported to appropriate authorities for necessary action.

     

     

  • Suspected herdsmen kill worker

    Suspected Fulani herdsmen have killed a worker of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi (UAM), Isaac Egbunu.

    The late Egbunu, a Software Development officer with the ICT unit, was ambushed about 5 pm on Lafia/Makurdi federal highway in Kadarako.

    A worker with the ICT Department, who pleaded for anonymity, said the deceased was returning from Jos, Plateau State.

    He said: “A colleague was driving his car while he sat at the back, but on getting to Kadarko, gunmen emerged from the bush and shot him. He died instantly but the driver managed to drive the car miles away from the scene.”

    Egbunu’s colleagues are mourned him, describing him as easy going and hardworking.

  • Herdsmen vs. Service Chiefs

    •We say again: it’s time for the security chiefs to go

    THE criminal gangs striking in all parts of the country with ease kept on killing in Borno, Taraba, Zamfara, Benue and Nasarawa states throughout last week. Just recently, they struck in Dapchi, Yobe State, and it took one month to recover more than 100 girls abducted from a girls secondary school in the town. One of the girls is still in captivity. Yet, some of those seized in Chibok in April 2014 are still being held. Armed robbers have also become more daring. In Offa, Kwara State, they invaded the police station in the town and raided four commercial banks. We ask, what is really going on?

    It is inconceivable that there are policemen deployed all over the country. To boost the capacity of the police, personnel of the armed forces are engaged in various forms of operations nationwide. This is in addition to the Department of State Services (DSS) statutorily saddled with the task of gathering intelligence for the civil and armed forces’ operations.

    Annually, citizens continue to make case for increased funding of the forces, despite the lean resources available for social, economic and political responsibilities of the government. Only recently, the president forwarded a request to the National Assembly for a draw-down of $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account for security. The federal and state governments should realise that the primary constitutional responsibility they swore to provide at inauguration was the security of lives and property. Any government that falls short of this requirement has failed the terms of the social contract that brought them to office.

    President Muhammadu Buhari should remind himself of his electoral promises during the 2014/2015 general elections. The lives of Nigerians are being regularly devalued as the herdsmen move from one state to the other destroying farmers’ means of livelihood, invading schools and displacing schoolchildren, sending families to internally displaced persons’ (IDP) camps and mowing down policemen sent to keep them at bay with very little resistance. These must stop.

    The service chiefs, from the Chief of Defence Staff to the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, the Chief of Air Staff, as well as the Inspector-General of Police, Director-General of the DSS and the National Security Adviser have failed the nation; they have no right to keep the offices any longer. We find it difficult to understand the rationale behind the extension of the tenures of officers who should have retired a long time ago. Is the President, Commander-in-Chief suggesting that there are no other officers capable of holding the offices?

    There are rules guiding appointments and tenures in the public service. By 2019, if General Abayomi Olonishakin, already a full general, continues in office, he would have served the country for 40 years, contrary to the stipulated maximum of 35 years. His tenure has been extended twice. Both Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, the Chief of Air Staff and Vice admiral Ibok Ete Ekwe, Chief of Naval Staff joined the services in 1979, same year as the Chief of Defence Staff, while the army chief, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai, was enrolled in 1981. Only the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, still has a year to go, having enlisted in 1984.

    We support the Senate resolution that they all should be allowed to leave. It is shameful that the United States of America had to point out to us last week that there was need for a change of tactics as even the insurgents in the North East have continually changed tactics, thus staying ahead of our security forces. There is the need for reinvigoration of the services, a boost of morale of officers and men and a rekindling of the people’s confidence.

    We urge Nigerians and the non- governmental organisations to join this campaign to improve the capacity of our security forces.

  • Defend yourself against attacks, CAN tells Christians

    CHRISTIAN Association of Nigeria (CAN) President Rev. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle has called on Christians to defend themselves against killings and attacks by herdsmen, Boko Haram insurgents and other militia groups.

    He urged Christians to go into politics, insisting that the country needs believers, who would see leadership as serving the nation.

    Rev. Ayokunle, who is also Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC) President, spoke at Rivers Baptist Conference International Campground at Ndele in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State at the weekend during a pre-convention news conference.

    It was part of the activities lined up for the 105th annual meeting of the NBC, tagged: “Moving forward, building a great nation through effective Christian participation”.

    He said: “Lawyers have been speaking that the issue of self-defence is constitutional and also in commonsense, which may not be common, because if you see somebody coming with dangerous weapon to kill you and you say it is not constitutional to defend yourself, then you must be ready to lose your life.

    “It is commonsense that you defend yourself from danger that is coming, but if you think it is not good to defend yourself, good luck. Do not be naive. If the marauders appear to be more powerful than the government and they cannot save us from them, then we must save ourselves.

    “For about nine years, these people have continued to kill and it appears like they have more guns and tactics than the security agents to be able to continue. How many of them have been arrested? How many of them have been prosecuted? Then, if I allow them to take my life, I will be responsible for my foolishness.”

    The CAN president, who also added that there are 15,000 Baptist churches in Nigeria, stressed that the theme of the annual convention was crucial to Nigerians at this time, having been ruled by different administrations and people – from the colonial masters to civil rule to military and back to civil rule.

    He said: “We have been experiencing one pain or another from one administration to another. Many analytical minds in the country know that Nigeria is like a crippled giant, because we have not been able to fully appropriate the potential, which God has given to us.

    “The pain of the nation is that of lack of task-oriented leaders. Leaders that are selfless and compassionate. Leaders that are ready to sacrifice and are committed to nation-building are lacking in this nation.

    “We have been ruled by the wicked. People, who do not take to their hearts, the people’s welfare. No wonder, over 50 years after independence from colonial rule, we still have dead traps as our roads.

    “When you leave the major roads, you cannot enter any city in Nigeria and be proud of what you see. Taps, which use to flow, when the colonial masters were here (in Nigeria) are no longer functional. Apart from the rulers, those that are ruled are part of the problems, because we have not been able to make our leaders to give account of their stewardship.”

    Rev. Ayokunle called on Christians not to see politics as a dirty game, but to fully participate in politics, to change Nigeria for better.

    He said: “Good Christians have not made themselves available for governance, thinking that politics is a dirty game. If politics is allowed to be a dirty game, we will continue to allow the dirty people to play it. The righteous ones should rise up to deliver the people of this nation from slavery.

    “Nigeria needs people like Moses, who will not fear to face the oppressors in the land. The righteous have to rise up like Daniel to give credible leadership and throw away idolatry from our land. We need men called of God like David, who will build the nation and serve the people, according to the will of God.

    “I am calling and challenging Christians, especially those from my constituency, Baptist in particular, to join politics and give this nation hope, as many of you that are called to go into politics to serve the people, not because you want to eat up the resources of the nation, rather you want to build the nation.”

     

     

     

     

     

  • Herdsmen kill 15 farmers in fresh Benue massacre

    • Confusion over arrest of busload of herdsmen with arms in Ebonyi

    Suspected Fulani herdsmen yesterday struck again in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State. About 15 Tiv farmers in Saghev district were killed.

    They also set houses and shops on fire.

    Attacked were Tse-Abi, Tse-Ginde, Tse-Peviv, Tse-Ikyo, Agenke and Gbenke, all in Saghev district.

    The attack took place early yesterday.

    Spokesman for the community, Paul Unande, said the   invaders wore military uniform and launched their attack at about 2am..

    Ten bodies have so far been recovered with many others injured.

    Mr. Terver Akase, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Samuel Ortom, confirmed the killing and burning of houses by herdsmen and said it was a continuation of the agenda to take over Benue by extremists and their sponsors.

    Akase asked the federal government to declare the herdsmen terrorists.

    He also pleaded with the security agencies to live up to their responsibility.

    Police spokesman ASP Moses Yamu and Police Commissioner Fatai Owoseni did not respond to phone calls and text messages to confirm the development.

    This is coming as two buses conveying some persons with arms and ammunitions were yesterday intercepted by the Police in Ebonyi State.

    The Toyota buses were intercepted close to  the  Onu-Ebonyi bridge  on the   Abakaliki-Ogoja Federal Highway, Izzi local government area of the state.

    The occupants included seven ‘suspected Fulani herdsmen’ allegedly on their way to Taraba State, according to sources

    Military uniforms were allegedly found in their luggage.

    Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa and Kaduna states, are the worst hit by the wave of killings by herders.

    The Ebonyi State Police Commissioner, Mr. Titus Lamorde, in a terse message to The Nation denied any arrest by his men.

    “Please it is not true,” he said in an sms in response to an inquiry.

    But, the spokesman for the police in the state said: “Yes, we intercepted buses carrying some persons with arms and ammunition going to Taraba but they are not herdsmen, they are Nollywood actors.

    “They were wearing army uniforms and we are investigating the matter. I will give details of the matter as soon as we got every detail,” she added.

    The Senior Adviser to Governor Dave Umahi  on Internal Security, Dr. Kenneth Ugballa also confirmed the incident, saying: “Yes, I heard the story  while I was away from the state  but right now I am entering the state and in a few minutes l will be at the command to find out the truth  about the incident.”

    The arrested suspects reportedly told the operatives of safer highways patrol that they were going for a movie shoot in Taraba State.

    They were driven to the Police Headquarters Abakaliki for further questioning.

    An eyewitness told our reporter that seven Fulani herdsmen were in one of the intercepted buses.

    “It was the policemen on Safer Highway Operations that stopped the buses. In their normal stop and search operation, they found firearms and army uniforms stocked in three big sacks.

    “Also found were uncountable ammunitions, rifles which is above 16 in number including explosives and local charm,” the eyewitness stated.