Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has accused the Nigerian police of being unwilling to arrest errant herdsmen disturbing some parts of the state.
The governor stated this on Monday at the 27th Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja with the theme “Securing Our Future: The Fierce Urgency of Now.”
Akeredolu said, “Yes, you have criminal trespass. It should be treated by the state. All we had before Amotekun was the police that had the duty to arrest and were not prepared to make an arrest. Things are changing and have really changed in Ondo State.
“Today, if you trespass on other people’s land, the Amotekun will go after you and arrest you. They pay compensation to the farmers, and when they fail, they are in court. It is the only way you can send signals to the people.”
He pointed out that “when you commit a crime, and the hands of law don’t catch up with you, another person will repeat it.”
On open grazing, Akeredolu said nomadic pastoralism was a culture that must be discouraged in the interest of those involved.
“Speaking for those of us who have put in place anti-open grazing law, we have our reasons, and we have no apologies,” the governor stated.
Akeredolu, Governor Nasiru El-Rufai, and other panellists spoke at the summit centred on addressing the country’s protracted security challenges.
According to him, a nation with failed security and justice systems is set to fail.
“In Ondo State, we don’t have terrorism. Our problem is farmers and herders’ clashes and kidnapping for ransom. We have drug abuse and agitation for self-determination. We have always preached multi-level policing in Ondo State. We believe in layers of security,” he said.
