Grazing reserves for Fulani herdsmen will lead to another civil war – Anglican Church warns Buhari

Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Rev’d (Dr) Nicholas Okoh has called on the Federal Government to scrap the proposed grazing reserves for herdsmen. Reading out the resolutions of the Diocese of Abuja Synod yesterday, the Primate warned that such decision would lead to a civil war.

He stressed that establishing grazing sites across the country would give herdsmen “unwarranted special preference” and make them automatic indigenes of all the regions of the country. Okoh said, “The synod hereby states unequivocally that the move to create grazing reserves for Fulani herdsmen around the country does not have our support. This is because the move treats a set of people with unwarranted special preference, making them indigenes of all regions of the country.

Hide quoted text “There have been countless isolated cases of herdsmen brutality to their host communities. These notorious activities of herdsmen are capable of dragging the country into another civil war. The Fulani herdsmen are private businessmen who take away all proceeds of the business, not sharing with either their host communities or the government.

“We wish to re-echo to the Federal Government, states and individuals involved, the recommendation already made earlier, that ranches should be built in their own localities for modern animal husbandry. In some parts of Nigeria, people are already grappling with high population growth and land does not expand. Nobody’s land should therefore be given forcefully given to anybody in any guise.

“The synod calls on the National Assembly to drop the bill on grazing reserves as it is only heating up the polity and will do no good to the herdsmen, their host communities or the government.”- Daily Post