Over 60,000 Nigerians Killed In 22 Years— FG

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas has revealed how 60,000 were killed in the last 22 years.

The speaker who was represented by the deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu said this at a stakeholders interactive session held by the House Ad-hoc Committee In Gombe State.

The event was themed, “Recurring Annual Clashes Between Farmers And Herders”.

He said the death was a result of farmers and herders clashes, a dispute which was regional and has now grown into conflict extending across the West African borders.

“The number of deaths, injuries, and kidnapped persons constitutes an alarming situation and poses a serious national security challenge for Nigeria’s quest to attain food security and alternative foreign earnings from the agricultural sector.

“The clashes have resulted in avoidable losses of lives and property. It is estimated that over 60,000 people have been killed since 2001. It ought not to be so.

“These conflicts have escalated in recent years and it is quite consequential to our national security.

“What is even more concerning is the appropriation of these conflicts by terror groups, bandits, and international criminal organizations, this menace requires urgent action to be taken,”

The speaker also noted that conflict’s negative effects have led to food insecurity and food inflation in the country with many farmers abandoning their farms for safety reasons.

Also, the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, represented by Professor Abdullahi  Ya’u stressed that the farmers and herders conflict has taken more lives than most of the crises seen in the country.

But that the NSA has decided to tackle the security issues involved through dialogue, and community engagements in collaboration with all relevant security agencies.

The farmers and herders conflicts in Nigeria are a series of disputes over arable land resources across Nigeria between the mostly Muslim Fulani herders and the mostly Christian non-Fulani farmers.

The conflicts have been especially prominent in the Middle Belt (North Central) since the return of democracy in 1999.