Farmers also carry AK-47 for protection – Gov Lalong

Simon Lalong, chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum and Plateau State governor has said both Fulani herdsmen and farmers carry AK-47 for self-defence.

Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed had been in the eye of the storm since last week when he said herdsmen had no option but to carry AK-47 for self-defence.

But Lalong speaking on Channels Television programme, ‘Sunrise Daily’, on Tuesday, said an investigation by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum also showed that farmers were carrying AK-47 and other firearms for protection.

He said when the farmers-herdsmen crisis occurred in Plateau State, both herdsmen and farmers were arrested with AK-47.

He said, “I am not justifying anybody carrying AK-47 but don’t forget in the cause of our deliberations and investigations, it was not only Fulanis that were carrying AK-47, but even farmers are also carrying AK-47.

“Farmers are also carrying AK-47 because when you talk about them, it is just a proliferation of arms with respect to guiding and everybody trying to protect himself. We shouldn’t allow people to have self-help. When they talk about AK-47, I have not seen anybody talk about that.

“But at the time there were farmers-herdsmen clashes here, we arrested people. Farmers were holding AK-47 and the herdsmen were also holding AK-47.

“So, if you want all of them not to hold AK-47, you must put deliberate efforts towards curtailing the influx of light arms and secondly, to also find ways of taking these people away from their old ways of farming and then introduce them into the modern system.”

Lalong also spoke on the decision by some governors to ban open grazing, noting that it would be difficult to implement it if alternatives were not provided.

He said, “You must provide an alternative. You don’t wake up today and say ‘No, you can’t do poultry’. If you say you are not going to do poultry, those into it will ask ‘what alternative are you giving us? This has always been my point.

“Open grazing is out of fashion but what do we do as an alternative? We must be able to teach people the modern way of animal husbandry and also sensitive to them before they understand. Otherwise, if you just wake up tomorrow and say you ban it, it will be difficult. To be honest with you, it will be difficult to implement because not everybody will understand.”