Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has urged President Bola Tinubu to restore law and order in Plateau and Benue states.
Falans’s comment came following ongoing attacks in the affected states.
Falana made the call in a statement on Wednesday.
While raising concerns over the ongoing violence, Falana blamed it on the failure of both federal and state governments to enforce the nationwide ban on open grazing.
He noted that the Northern Governors Forum had prohibited open grazing as early as February 2021, with Southern governors taking the same step in May of that year.
He added that by 2022, the Federal Government had formally endorsed ranching as a lasting solution to the persistent and deadly conflicts between herders and farmers.
He stated, “Because of the failure of the Federal Government and the 36 state governments to implement the ban on open grazing, hundreds of people have been killed by armed herders and other gunmen.”
He therefore urged Tinubu, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to take decisive action by directing the 3rd Division of the Nigerian Army in Jos and the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Zone 4 of the Nigeria Police Force, also in Jos, to urgently intervene and restore peace in the affected states.
