Ikechukwu Aduba, former Delta state police
commissioner, has insisted there is something
more dangerous than the dreaded Boko Haram
sect in Nigeria.
The retired police officer raised alarm over the
illegal activities of Fulani cattle rearers and urged
the man incharge of the country, President
Muhammadu Buhari to address the situation before
it is too late.
Ex-CP Aduba explained why these guys are worse
than Boko Haram:
“It is a serious issue, more complicated than the
terrorists activities in the Northeast. Boko Haram
war is a minor issue when compared with what
we are going to experience in the hands of
Fulani cattle rearers in the nearest future if the
issue is not addressed.
“In some places, especially in Delta state where I
served as the commissioner of police, many
people cannot go to the farm anymore for fear of
being attacked in the bush by cattle rearers.
Many women have been raped in front of their
husbands and children. Many people killed by
the cattle rearers. It is a pathetic situation if
cattle eat up people’s crops in the farm and the
farm owner challenges them, it is a big problem.
If the farm owner keeps quite, his toil for the
year will be in vain. It is a wearisome situation.
“The action is affecting agricultural businesses as
communities are afraid to go to the farm for the
fear that one day, all their labour for one year
will be eaten up in one day by cattle. If a
community is afraid that their loved may go to
the farm and not return, how do you expect them
to go to the farm where they may meet their
untimely death? This is a serious and pathetic
situation that is worse than Boko Haram. They
will soon overrun the entire country.
“I want to advice that President Muhammadu
Buhari and the National Assembly should
constitute a committee that would look into the
issue. My suggestion is that the cattle rearers
should be confined in gracing reserves and
ranches. They should be made to stay in a
particular area and not to wander from place to
place.
“If you look at it critically, we don’t eat beef
more than other countries of the world. We
don’t have cow more than other countries. We
don’t export cow, yet in the countries that even
export cow, there is absolute peace because they
don’t take their cattle to places that they are not
supposed to take them. The Nigerian government
should take a decisive stands on the matter or
the keg of gun powder will explode and the
government will now not be able to tackle the
menace of the cattle rearers.”
