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Minister of Interior, General Abdulrahman Dambazzau, has in 'Question Time' interview with Gbenga Ashiru of Channels Television, opened up on why the military has not been sent in to deal with herdsmen that have carried out attacks on Nigerians in some parts of the country.
Dambazzau said the attacks by the herdsmen is a non-military issue but rather an issue that is meant to be handled by the police. He also called for a long-term, and comprehensive solution to the herdsmen attacks.
Few excerpts from the interview below:
Asked on the menace of herders, Dambazzau said:
'This issue isn't peculiar to Nigeria alone, we see it as a regional issue. Becuase the pasturalists tranverse across West Africa. Within ECOWAS, it has has recognised that pasturalists move from one plane to another. And that is why there uis provision for trans-human certificate. It's more or less like their passports for movement'
Asked on military solutions in ending the violent herdsmen attacks, Dambazzau explained:
"It is a non military issue. It is an issue that borders on law and order. It is not every security issue that you call in the military. The constitution is very clear that the responsibility of maintaining law and order is that of the police. Where it goes beyond the capacity of the police, that is when the military comes in and it is very clear that the function of the military is to defend the territorial integrity of the country. So I believe that if we put the police in its proper shape, then there will be no need for the military"he said
Isn't your approach in tackling the herdsmen crisis too civil for the kind of emergency nature that the situation portends?
"I believe that our police is equal to the task. If you have to employ or deploy the military in every case, I think you may be going off board. It is when the police lacks the capacity or when it turns out in form of war or limited war, that is when you may call upon the military"he said
Dambazzau said the attacks by the herdsmen is a non-military issue but rather an issue that is meant to be handled by the police. He also called for a long-term, and comprehensive solution to the herdsmen attacks.
Few excerpts from the interview below:
Asked on the menace of herders, Dambazzau said:
'This issue isn't peculiar to Nigeria alone, we see it as a regional issue. Becuase the pasturalists tranverse across West Africa. Within ECOWAS, it has has recognised that pasturalists move from one plane to another. And that is why there uis provision for trans-human certificate. It's more or less like their passports for movement'
Asked on military solutions in ending the violent herdsmen attacks, Dambazzau explained:
"It is a non military issue. It is an issue that borders on law and order. It is not every security issue that you call in the military. The constitution is very clear that the responsibility of maintaining law and order is that of the police. Where it goes beyond the capacity of the police, that is when the military comes in and it is very clear that the function of the military is to defend the territorial integrity of the country. So I believe that if we put the police in its proper shape, then there will be no need for the military"he said
Isn't your approach in tackling the herdsmen crisis too civil for the kind of emergency nature that the situation portends?
"I believe that our police is equal to the task. If you have to employ or deploy the military in every case, I think you may be going off board. It is when the police lacks the capacity or when it turns out in form of war or limited war, that is when you may call upon the military"he said