Niger State Government has declared that any pastoralist entering the state without an official permit will be treated as a rustler, as it intensifies efforts to strengthen security, monitor livestock movement and curb criminal infiltration.
The Commissioner for Nomadic and Pastoral Affairs, Umar Ahmed Sanda Rabe, announced this directive during a Quarterly Media Briefing in Minna.
Rabe said the policy was introduced to enable authorities to properly identify and monitor pastoralists entering the state, particularly through border local government areas, and prevent criminal elements from disguising as herders.
According to him, the state lacked reliable records of pastoralists before the creation of the Ministry of Nomadic and Pastoral Affairs on August 23, 2022.
He stated, “With the political will of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, we now have comprehensive data on the leadership of pastoralist groups in Niger State. We know their associations and their chairmen in various localities”.
The commissioner also disclosed that the government plans to establish a comprehensive database within the next three years containing details of pastoralists, the number of livestock they own and their locations across the state.
He explained that the database would not only enhance security but also enable the government to provide pastoral communities with essential social services, including potable water and other basic amenities.
Rabe further revealed that the state had introduced empowerment programmes for women and youths in pastoral communities while also developing strategies to reduce recurring conflicts between herders and farmers.
He, however, argued that most of the recent clashes recorded across the state were land disputes rather than herder-farmer conflicts.
The commissioner also dismissed claims that Niger State harbours established bandit camps, insisting that criminal gangs only infiltrate the state from neighbouring states.
“We do not have bandit camps in Niger State. Bandits only penetrate the state through neighbouring states. Security agencies have therefore been directed to profile every pastoralist entering the state in order to identify genuine herders,” he insisted.
Earlier, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, represented by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, attributed the recent influx of pastoralists to worsening insecurity in neighbouring states.
Elleman noted that while the Constitution guarantees every Nigerian the right to freedom of movement, security agencies would continue to work with the state government to profile incoming pastoralists and ensure that criminal elements do not exploit that constitutional right.