Create Policing Body For Anti-Open Grazing Law, Group Urges States Govt

Posted by Eric Ojo Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Tuesday, September 28th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A frontline civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has urged the States that have enacted the legislation against open grazing of livestock to set up a policing body to monitor infractions and enforcement of the law.

The association said states with such legislation should establish armed vigilantes to carry out enforcement of the provisions of the law, just as the Amotekun Security Network is doing lawfully in some South West States of Nigeria.

The group noted that it is pertinent for such a body to be established because the law is constitutionally guaranteed under section 4(7) which authorises State Houses of Assembly to make laws for the good governance and security of the good people of their States.

Specifically, Section 4 subsection 7 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of 1999 (as amended) provides that: “Section 4(7) The House of Assembly of a State shall have power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the State or any part thereof”.

HURIWA said the State governments can actually take steps to enforce laws made in their respective states if Kano State can set up Islamic Police which contravenes sections 10 and 214 of the Nigerian constitution so why are the states waiting for the unwilling Inspector General of Police (IGP) who is a willing tool of the oppressors in Abuja to ask their men to respect the law of Nigeria.

In statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko alleged that there is palpable conspiratorial silence from the police hierarchy over its willingness to prosecute violators of the law.

The association therefore called on the IGP, Alhaji Usman Alkali Baba to order the state commands of the Nigerian Police Force to enforce the anti-open grazing laws in the states that had passed the law or quits as the lawfully recognised IGP of the Federal Republic of Nigeria so he can head the Fulani Police Force.

HURIWA also pointed out that Section 214. (1) of the Nigerian Constitution establishes the Police as the policing institution of all parts of Nigeria and not for Fulani herdsmen.

Section 214(1) states thus: “There shall be a police force for Nigeria, which shall be known as the Nigeria Police Force, and subject to the provisions of this section no other police force shall be established for the Federation or any part thereof”.

“The findings made recently by a respected newspaper in Nigeria that the policemen are careful over these new state laws which implies that the police operatives paid with tax payer’s money belonging to the good citizens of Nigerians have been brainwashed by some Fulani Ethnic warlords embedded within the Abuja’s Seat of Power not to enforce the laws passed by the different States against public grazing of Livestock.

“This is a very dangerous threat to Nigeria’s national security and it is even worst because the persons being misused to undermine the security of some states in the Federal Republic of Nigeria are policemen who according to the clear provisions of the constitution are bound to implement lawfully passed laws in all states of the federation and the Ethnic interest of the holder of the office of President should not matter in the enforcement of the laws of Nigeria”.

“It is disgraceful that Nigeria Police Force is now an institution led by Ethnic warlords who are affiliates of Fulani herders because investigation showed that herders still graze their animals openly in many states that have enacted the anti-open grazing law without being intercepted by law enforcement agents”, the group lamented.

The association further harped on the importance of the holder of the office of the IGP to comply totally with the constitutional mandates that his office confers on him or he will be inducted into the National Hall of Shame and infamy as someone who used his office to serve the selfish, clandestine and parochial interest of the armed Terrorists and Fulani herdsmen who have vowed to disobey the lawfully passed legislation in some States in Nigeria which outlaws open grazing of Livestock of all genre.

HURIWA also asked the concerned states to cut off all forms of partnership funding supports with and to the current distorted structure of the police since it is now clear that the Nigerian Police Force has become the Fulani Police force.

In addition, the association appealed to the Southern Nigeria states to defend the Constitution by compelling the Nigerian Police Force to carry out their duties, adding that pressures can be mounted if the states cut off all funding components they give to the police.

The equally berated the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami for constituting himself into a cog in the wheel of the progressive enforcement of the lawfully passed legislation against open grazing of cattle, adding that the minister should resign for demonstrating such deep level of loyalty to Fulani herdsmen.