Primate of Anglican Church Warns: Grazing Reserves Can Lead To Another Civil War

[caption id="attachment_8544" align="alignnone" width="680"]Rev. Nicholas Okoh[/caption]

As anger continues to boil in the country, especially in the South and Middle Belt, over the proposed grazing reserves for Fulani herdsmen, the Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, Primate Church of All Nigeria (Anglican Communion), has warned that realizing the proposal could plunge the country into another civil war.

Nigeria fought a civil war from 1967 to 1970 over secessionist attempt by Biafra mainly Igbo in the South Eastern part of the country.

Speaking at the 3rd session of the 9th Synod of the Anglican Communion with the theme: “The Poverty of Riches” in Abuja on Friday, Okoh swarned that herdsmen have become notorious and giving them “unwarranted special preference, it will lead to another civil war.

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“This is because the move treats a set of people with unwarranted special preference, making them indigenes of all regions of the country.

“There have been countless isolated cases of herdsmen brutality to their host communities.

“These notorious activities of herdsmen are capable of dragging the country into another civil war.”

While backing the establishment of ranches, he noted that herdsmen are private businessmen who take away all proceeds of their business, not sharing with either their host communities or the government.

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According to him, there was no vast land in some parts of the country given that some areas were already grappling with large population growth, and can possibly not have land for grazing reserves.

“Nobody’s land should, therefore, be given forcefully to anybody under any guise because land does not expand.

“The synod calls on the National Assembly to drop the bill on grazing reserves as it is only heating up the polity.

“It will do no good to the herdsmen, their host communities or the government.’’

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