More Trouble For Herdsmen, See Shocking Order Coming From The Senate Committee On Federal Capital Territory Yesterday
The Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) yesterday gave a marching order to the FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello, to slaughter any cow seen loitering or grazing within the nation’s capital city or impose a N50,000 fine on each of the cows, on the owners.
The committee members expressed concerns over the continued movement of herds of cattle in the city centre despite several warnings by the FCT authorities.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Dino Melaye, who handed down the directive to Bello, when the latter appeared before the committee yesterday, said the order must be carried out.
“Honourable minister, Senate as an institution is not happy at how Fulani herdsmen continue to move their cows across the city centre, which we are aware you have given a directive against some time ago.
“From now, get knives and ask your men to slaughter cows found in the capital city or prosecute herdsmen seen with cows in the city centre with a fine of N50,000 per cow. This order must be carried out,” he said.
Melaye expressed disappointment at the manner Fulani herdsmen have defied the ‘no-grazing’ order, insisting that the minister must implement the Senate’s decision.
In another development, the committee chairman expressed regret that the Senate was in receipt of complaints that some residents of the territory were converting their apartments into hotels and brothels, a situation he said was distorting the original master plan of the capital city.
He told Bello that some people were already undermining the FCT authority under his watch, which he said was unacceptable.
Meanwhile, FCT officials and military representatives, who appeared before the committee over the unconstitutional acquisition of 238 hectares of land situated at Maitama Extension opted to go and settle between themselves.
In response to the committee’s position that the said plot was being investigated based on petitions it received from the public that Nigerian military had chased away FCDA contractors who were working on infrastructure earlier in the month, the FCT minister pleaded that the FCDA be allowed to discuss with those concerned, saying they would report back to the Senate.
