A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has urged the governments of Benue and Plateau states to ban open grazing to curb incessant killings.
Falana, the Chairman of the Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), made this known on Sunday while expressing sympathy over the incessant loss of lives in both states.

He called on the attorneys general of Plateau and Benue to make sure that all alleged murderers are brought to justice in accordance with the rules of the state-specific penal laws.

“The governments of Benue and Plateau states must outlaw open grazing,” he stated.

“The federal government ought to immediately set up ranches in Benue, Plateau, and other states and prohibit the transportation of cattle in the Federal Capital Territory and all Federation states.”

He noted that the northern and southern governors’ conferences decided to ban open grazing nationwide under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.

Falana claimed that by releasing N6.2, the federal government implemented ranching in an effort to reduce the violent conflicts between farmers and herders.

“It is inconceivable that the country’s security forces have not been able to stop the poorly armed gunmen who are terrorizing unarmed people in Benue and Plateau states,” he stated.

“At that time, our appeal to other state governments to make the same demand for the same amount and for the same purpose was ignored.”

The human rights attorney praised the governments of Benue and the Plateau for putting in place state security forces, following the lead established by the late Rotimi Akeredolu, the former governor of Ondo State.

But according to him, there have been claims that the security forces in both states lack adequate funding.

In order to eliminate the death merchants operating in both states, he stated that it is imperative that the agents of both security organizations be highly skilled and driven.