The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello has called on the National Implementation Committee for the Curtailment of Cattle Rustling to track all the cattle coming in from the neighbouring countries.
Bello made the call while receiving members of the committee led by its chairman, AIG Charles Ugomuohm, who were on advocacy visit on Tuesday in Abuja.
FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa-Bello
The minister said that all such cattle could be tracked from the border thereby reducing friction often being generated by their activities in the hinterland. According to him, such tracking could also be useful for statistical purposes.
“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.
“Majority of cattle rustling activities are being perpetuated by those coming from the neighbouring countries, hence the need for their actions to be nipped in the bud,’’ he said.
He urged the implementation committee to take advantage of available technology to track them and ensure that the herders pay for such services.
“The 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 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.
The committee should be working in concert with existing committees in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory for greater understanding and better results,’’ he said.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the committee, AIG Charles Ugomuoh, remarked that they were in FCT for advocacy visit as an enlightenment programme to curtail their menace.
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).
Newsmen gathered that the minister recently set up similar committee consisting of 22 members on cattle grazing and rustling in the Federal Capital Territory
