Group urges South, Middle Belt Governors to reject FG's armed agro-rangers - NaijaAgroNet

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The Pan Yoruba self-determination coalition known as Apapo Oodua Koya (AOKOYA), has urged the South and Middle Belt State Governors to reject the agro-rangers which the Federal Government of Nigeria has proposed to deploy to states, reports NaijaAgroNet.

According to the group in a press statement available to NaijaAgroNet, 'This is RUGA in disguise. It is an attempt to give protection to violent pastorist Fulanis, who are bent on taking over Yoruba territories by force of arms."

Herders, cattle rustling killings reduced - FG - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The Federal Government (FG) has drastically reduced killings associated to herders attacks, cattle rustling, trans-border crimes, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, revealed this at a special town hall meeting on measures by he Federal Government to curb killings in Gusau, Zamfara State on Monday.

He also said these achievements were  as a result of concerted and committed actions by the government.

Mohammed highlighted some measures taken to curtail the herders  attacks, cattle rustling and other acts of banditry to include deployment of a Joint Military Intervention Force (JMIF), comprising Regular and Special Forces personnel from the Army, Air Force and Navy, and working in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Security (DSS), and Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).

In addition, he said, FG established the Army’s 2 Battalion Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Kanfanin Doka Village, Birnin-Gwari, Kaduna State.as well as established a new Area Command and two additional  Divisional Police Headquarters in the Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Further, he said, FG established Nigerian Air Force of Quick Response Wings (QRW) in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba States, and deployment of Special Forces to these Quick Response Wings.

He equally said that the inauguration by the Nigeria Police Force of a new Mobile Squadron in Takum, Taraba State, and Operation 'Whirl Stroke', operating in Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba and Zamfara states, were to tackle the menace of armed herdsmen, cattle rustlers, communal militias, kidnappers and other bandits.

“I have no doubt that the good people of Zamfara can testify to the drastic reduction in the activities of cattle rustlers and other bandits in the state since the Federal Government assembled a 1000-strong military force, comprising the army, air force, police and the civil defence, to launch fierce attacks on the bandits terrorizing the villages and towns of Zamfara State. The situation will continue to improve until the violence has stopped,” he said.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Drought-stricken herders in Ethiopia need urgent support

NaijaAgroNet:

Supporting herders to get back on their feet and preventing further livestock losses and suffering are crucial in drought-hit Ethiopia where hunger has been on the rise this year, warned today the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), reports NaijaAgroNet.

Drought has devastated herders’ livelihoods as it exhausted pastures and water sources, leading to a significant number of animals dying or falling ill, particularly in the southern and southeastern regions of the country as other areas recover from previous seasons’ El Niño-induced drought.

Drought-hit pastoralists face reduced milk production, rising malnutrition, and have limited income-earning capacity and severely constrained access to food.

Some 8.5 million people – one in 12 people – are now suffering from hunger; of these, 3.3 million people live in Somali Region.

The current food and nutrition crisis is significantly aggravated by the severe blow to pastoral livelihoods. For livestock-dependent families, the animals can literally mean the difference between life and death, especially for children, pregnant and nursing women for whom milk is a crucial source of nutrition.

With up to 2 million animals lost so far, FAO is focusing on providing emergency livestock support to the most vulnerable pastoralist communities through animal vaccination and treatment, supplementary feed and water, rehabilitating water points, and supporting fodder and feed production.

“It is crucial to provide this support between now and October – when rains are due – to begin the recovery process and prevent further losses of animals. If we don’t act now, hunger and malnutrition will only get worse among pastoral communities,” said Abdoul Karim Bah, FAO Deputy Representative in Ethiopia.

By providing supplementary feed and water for livestock, while at the  same time supporting fodder production, FAO seeks to protect core breeding animals and enable drought-hit families to rebuild their livelihoods. Animal health campaigns will be reinforced to protect animals, particularly before the rains set in, when they are at their weakest and more susceptible to parasites or infectious diseases. FAO-supported destocking and cash-for-work programmes will also provide a crucial source of cash for families.

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