Inspector general of police says most troublesome Fulani cattle herders are not Nigerians

INSPECTOR general of police Solomon Arase has declared that many of the Fulani cattle herders who engage in confrontations with local communities across the country are not Nigerians but foreigners who took advantage of the nation's porous borders.

 

Speaking in Akure yesterday where cattle herders and local farmers have clashed recently, leading to the abduction of former finance minister and presidential candidate Chief Olu Falae, Mr Arase urged the farmers to be careful and take caution in dealing with them. Adding that that most of the herdsmen were not Nigerians who gained entrance into the country due to border porosity, Mr Arase said efforts were being made to reduce cases of kidnapping to the barest minimum.

 

He also used the occasion to warn policemen against treating human lives with levity, vowing to prosecute any officer who kills innocent citizens. Mr Arase said that he was making the improved welfare of the policemen a cardinal objective, as only a well motivated police force would protect the citizenry.

 

Mr Arase said: “We are making several strategic approaches to reducing kidnapping in the country and I urge the public to divulge information on any suspicious person because the kidnappers live within us. I want to say this that life is sacrosanct and any police taking innocent life will be charged to court for prosecution.

 

"I believe that if we want to change police for the better, we need to cater for men of rank and file because they are the ones at major difficult terrains. Within the eight months under my leadership, I have given scholarship to 325 children of these personnel and also, about 36,000 inspectors and of rank and file policemen have been promoted under my watch.”

 

He added that 400 units of two bedroom flats built for rank and file would be commissioned in March. According to Mr Arase, the expected police recruitment was delayed because of financial constraints, saying training, welfare and salaries required a lot of money.

 

Also, he called on men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure that due respect was accorded to security stakeholders for effective policing. Furthermore, Mr Arase admonished members of public to give timely and useful information to the police to allow them reduce crime to the barest minimum.

 

"I do advise our officers and men to respect the traditional rulers, religious leaders, transport workers and other groups to enable them do their job professionally. They should communicate with them well so that they can get useful information to curb crimes in the society,” Mr Arase added.