The Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd.), on Tuesday, in Abuja, held a crucial meeting with heads of internal security agencies over the killings by herdsmen and other security challenges in the country.
Speaking shortly before the meeting commenced, Dambazau expressed concern over the current security situation in the country.
The meeting had in attendance representatives of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Department of State Services, National Intelligence Agency, Nigeria Customs Service, and the United Nations Development Programme, among others.
The minister noted that the meeting was a follow-up to a parley with state governors two weeks ago over the violent conflicts between farmers and herdsmen in Benue State and other places.
“One of the issues that came up in the communiqué was the issue of the proliferation of small arms and drug trafficking and abuse. We also found out that these two issues are triggers to the violence taking place in this country,” the minister added.
He noted that without firearms and drugs, those perpetrating the violence would not have the courage to do so with such magnitude recorded in the crisis states.
The minister said there was the need to take urgent steps toward ensuring that the situation was dealt with accordingly.
Citing the United Nations report on arms proliferation, Dambazau stated that there were approximately 500 million assorted firearms in West Africa, out of which 350 million were in Nigeria.
He said a large consignment of weapons had been smuggled from North Africa, particularly, Libya, as a consequence of the crisis in the Arab country.
“The situation is worsened by the insurgency in the North-East because of the supply of weapons to the insurgents and terrorists there.
“Likewise the supply of weapons to the militants in the Niger Delta through the exchange of stolen crude oil and supply by politicians to deal with their opponents,” he said.
He added that the issues required action especially as the 2019 elections drew nearer, stressing that “if we don’t do something now, I am afraid things would be worse than this.”
Meanwhile, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre has asked President Muhammadu Buhari and the governors of the 36 states to work together in tackling the menace of the herdsmen’s killings and invasions, and not be distracted by their political ambition.
The CISLAC Director, Auwal Rafsanjani, who stated this at a state-of-the-nation press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, urged the government to provide livelihood support to several households in the states affected by the herdsmen’s conflict.
Rafsanjani added that the issues of kidnapping and lingering fuel scarcity in the country were also urgent areas requiring the government’s intervention.