By Oye Chukwujekwu,
Asaba
Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has said that intelligence gathering should be adopted as one of the best ways to tackle Fulani herdsmen menace in the country.
Okowa gave the advice when he led top government functionaries to visit to Ossissa community in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State which was attacked by Fulani herdsmen, recently.
“You should identify, notify security men or government officials on the location of armed herdsmen and they will be dislodged,” the governor said.
The governor, who decried the effects of Fulani herdsmen menace on Deltans, called on communities to be proactive, assuring that any herdsman caught with dangerous weapon or perceived to be a threat to Deltans would face the laws of the land.
According to Okowa, a detachment of Police officers would be sent to Ossissa community to check the menace of the herdsmen, even as he assured Deltans that the Federal Government was working on policies to check activities of herdsmen and that they should be patient.
“No doubt, you people are in severe pains, unfortunately, we lost some people,” Okowa said, while condoling the families of the victims of the menace and the Ossissa community.
He emphasized, “Surely, the people who are carrying AK 47 assault rifles and other unlicensed weapons are not on the side of the law and anyone who is caught with such will face the wrath of the law.”
Okowa urged the community to remain peaceful and law-abiding. While recalling their ordeal, some members of the community disclosed that the herdsmen killed many of their relations.
Joseph Kukaye specifically called on the government to take proactive steps to check the menace of the herdsmen, saying it was no longer safe to go to their farms which he said had led to famine and low economic activities in the community.