Nigeria’s FCT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello, has challenged the National Implementation Committee for the Curtailment of Cattle Rustling in Nigeria to evolve a robust mechanism to track all the cattle coming in from the neighboring countries.
The Minister gave this challenge on Tuesday, while receiving members of the Committee led by its chairman, AIG Charles Ugomuoh that were in the FCT Administration for Advocacy visit.
According to Bello, all such cattle could be tracked from the border thereby reducing friction often being generated by their activities in the hinterland, which can also be used for statistical purposes.
A statement by the FCAI Deputy Director of press, Muhammad Hazat Sule quoted the Minister to have said: “It would be a good idea for your Committee to set up a robust mechanism to track all those coming across the border even for statistical purposes.”
He further stated that majority of cattle rustling activities are being perpetuated by those coming from the neighboring countries hence the need for their actions to be nipped in the bud. He urged the Implementation Committee to take advantage of technology to track them and ensure that the herders pay for such services.
“The Implementation Committee needs to capture them by creating a data base with their names and identity because nobody can move in other countries without identity,” the Minister emphasized.
According to him, “the policy if well harnessed will go a long way to help reduce problems associated with cattle rustling in the country and make people to continue to live in peace and prosperity.
He called on the Committee to work in concert with existing committees in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory for greater understanding and better results.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the National Implementation Committee on the Curtailment of Cattle Rustling in Nigeria, AIG Charles Ugomuoh, remarked that they were in FCT for advocacy visit as an enlightenment programme to curtail their menace.
AIG Ogomuoh stated that cattle rustling in Nigeria have come with adverse economic and security implications with negative consequences on the National Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
It may be recalled that the Minister recently set up similar committee consisting of 22 members on cattle grazing and rustling in the Federal Capital Territory.
