Dialogue key to resolving herders, farmers clashes -Kebbi gov

Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, has identified dialogue as the best tool for resolving the lingering farmers/herders clashes in the country.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor, Ahmed Idris, and made available to journalists in Birnin Kebbi on Monday.

Idris quoted the governor as saying this when he paid a condolence visit to the people of Suru and Koko/Besse Local Government Areas of the state over a clash between  herdsmen and farmers.

According to him, the visit wqs to streamline the issue and kickstart the settlement process towards restoring peace and stability in the two areas.

The governor, who donated N4m to the families of the two deceased people, also donated N5m to the remaining eight people that sustained injuries in Suru, while in Besse, where two people were missing and one person was killed, the governor donated N2m to the family of the deceased, while N2m was also given to the remaining people that sustained injuries during the crisis in the two areas.

While describing the rift between herders and farmers as unfortunate, the governor also promised to bring an end to the crisis in the area through a round-table dialogue involving security agencies and other relevant stakeholders.

The governor later set up a reconciliation committee to be headed by the state commissioner of police, the head of Department of Security Service, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, district heads, members of the State House of Assembly, and other relevant stakeholders in the area.

In separate remarks, the District Head of Suru, Mohammed Bello-Jaguwadeji, and the District Head of Dustemari, Alhaji Mohammed Malebi, thanked the governor for the sympathy visit while attributing the crisis to a devilish act.

Narrating the episode to the governor, the Suru Local Government Council Chairman, Mohammed Lawal, said the crisis started on Saturday morning when the farmers visited their farmlands and met Fulanis at the scene.

The chairman further explained that the farmers inquired from the Fulanis if they were the ones destroying their crops.

He further pointed out that during the crisis, two people were confirmed dead, while eight (8) people that sustained varying degrees of injuries were responding to treatment in the hospital.

The two affected villages in suru are Kankure village and Tunga Rimi village, while in Besse, where properties and houses were destroyed, the affected villages are Tunga Mai Rakumi, Runhewan Dulmeru, Sabuwan Kendawa, and Limarein.

The governor directed the chairman of the state Emergency Management Agency, Hon Bello Rilisco, to quickly identify the victims and support them with the necessary food items.