Herdsmen/farmers crisis: Nigeria, Niger republic partner to tackle menace

The Minister of Interior, retired Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, has assured the republic of Niger that Nigeria will partner with its government to tackle herdsmen/farmers’ conflict.

Dambazau stated this when Nigerien lawmakers paid him a visit on Friday in Abuja.

The minister disabused the lawmakers’ minds of the misconception that herdsmen from Niger were responsible for the herdsmen and farmers conflict in Nigeria.

Dambazau told the lawmakers that the two countries had close relationship in religion and ethnicity.

“Our relationship is historic; we have very close relationship in ethnicity and religion that it is difficult to know who comes from Nigeria and Niger. We consider ourselves as one family.

“There is no insinuation anywhere that the herdsmen are only from Niger republic. We have other movements across the sub-region, even from Nigeria,” he said.

The leader of the Niger parliamentarians’ delegation, Mr Sanusi Mareini, told the minister that there was insinuation that herdsmen from Niger were responsible for the herdsmen and farmers conflict.

In another development, Damabazau assured the Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Jens Petter Kjemprud, that the government of Nigeria would support Norway on the establishment of more off shore companies in Nigeria.

The minister gave the assurance when Kjemprud paid him a visit in Abuja.

The ambassador told the minister that he was on a visit to solicit the support of the Federal Government to enable Norway to set up more multinational companies in Nigeria.