The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, on Thursday described the blockage of grazing routes across the country as the remote cause of recent killings especially in Benue and Taraba states. He also identified the implementation of anti grazing law in some states as the immediate cause of the killings.
Dan-Ali spoke with State House correspondents at the end of a meeting of the National Security Council presided over by President Muhamamdu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He said the recent killings formed part of discussions at the meeting and the proposed National Commission on Proliferation of Arms was one of the steps being taken by the Federal Government to tackle the violence.
The minister said, "Whatever crisis that happens at any time, there are remote and immediate causes. Look at this issue (killings in Benue and Taraba, what is the remote cause of this farmers crisis? Since the nation's independence, we know there used to be a route whereby the cattle rearers take because they are all over the nation.
"If you go to Bayelsa or Ogun, you will see them. If those routes are blocked, what do you expect will happen? These people are Nigerians. It is just like one going to block the shoreline, does that make sense to you? These are the remote causes of the crisis. But the immediate cause is the grazing law. "These people are Nigerians and we must learn to live together with one another. Communities and other people must learn how to accept foreigners within their enclave. Finish!”
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