By BASHIR ADEFAKA
“I am not justifying anybody carrying AK-47 but don’t forget in the cause of our deliberations and investigations, it was not only Fulanis that were carrying AK-47 but even farmers are also carrying AK-47.”
Another danger of covering one part of criminalities to hype the other thereby complicating the security situation in the country has been exposed with Governor of Plateau State, Sir Simon Lalong, revealing that, against what the media have brought to public knowledge about herdsmen alone carrying AK-47, farmers also bear AK-47.
Sir Lalong, who is also the Chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum, made this known on Tuesday, why speaking on Channels Television programme, Sunrise Daily.
His bold statement this week vindicate the Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, who incurred the wrath of Nigerians week before when he said herdsmen are compelled to carry AK-47 for self-defence.
In the television interview reportedly monitored by The Nation, Lalong said an investigation by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum also showed that farmers also carry AK-47 and other firearms for protection.
According to him when the farmers-herdsmen crisis occurred in Plateau, herdsmen and farmers were arrested with AK-47.
He said: “I am not justifying anybody carrying AK-47 but don’t forget in the cause of our deliberations and investigations, it was not only Fulanis that were carrying AK-47 but even farmers are also carrying AK-47.
“Farmers are also carrying AK-47 because when you talk about them, it is just a proliferation of arms with respect to guiding and everybody trying to protect himself.
“We shouldn’t allow people to have self-help. When they talk about AK-47, I have not seen anybody talk about that.
“But at the time there were farmers-herdsmen clashes here, we arrested people. Farmers were holding AK-47 and the herdsmen were also holding AK-47.
“So, if you want all of them not to hold AK-47, you must put deliberate efforts towards curtailing the influx of light arms and secondly, to also find ways of taking these people away from their old ways of farming and then introduce them into the modern system.”
On the decision by some Governors to ban open grazing, Lalong said it will be difficult to implement if alternatives are not provided.
“First of all, you must provide an alternative. You don’t wake up today and say ‘No, you can’t do poultry’. If you say you are not going to do poultry, those into it will ask ‘what alternative are you giving us? This has always been my point.
“Open grazing is out of fashion but what do we do as an alternative? We must be able to teach people the modern way of animal husbandry and also sensitive to them before they understand.
“Otherwise, if you just wake up tomorrow and say you ban it, it will be difficult. To be honest with you, it will be difficult to implement because not everybody will understand,” Lalong said.
