- The military says it was issuing a final warning to all those behind the herdsmen, farmers' crises in Adamawa state
- The security organisation says it lost two soldiers and seven policemen in recent violence in the state
- Stakeholders at the meeting pledged their support for the security agencies
A total of seven policemen and two soldiers lost their lives within the past two months as a result of Numan sectarian crisis involving herdsmen and farmers in Adamawa, brigade commander, 23rd Amour Brigade, Bello Mohammed has revealed.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Brig-General Mohammed reportedly said this on Thursday, January 25, in Yola while addressing a town hall meeting of stakeholders on the crisis.
According to Mohammed, the meeting is to sound a final warning to those involved that it would henceforth be hard on those who failed to embrace peace and dialogue in resolving differences.
READ ALSO: Obasanjo allegedly forming a coalition to oust Buhari in 2019
“The crisis that initially started in Numan and environs spread to four LGAs namely; Girei, Demsa and Lamurde, and later to parts of Taraba.
“Sadly, the measures and strategies employed by security agencies have not yielded the desired effect; the stakeholders have regarded our soft handedness measures as weakness and incapable of dealing with the situation.
“Henceforth, we members of the security agencies forum have collectively resolved to tackle this mayhem and unwarranted killings at all cost.
“The first deliberate step towards permanently resolving this issue is this town hall meeting. It is part of soft power approach to internal security situations, it would be followed by hard and smart power approaches. To be forewarned is to be forearmed,” Mohammed said.
He lamented that elites, politicians and traditional rulers in the affected areas were not helping matters in addressing the problem just as he said warring parties were also fond of overreacting and mostly on baseless and unconfirmed information.
NAN reports that the brigade commander said that as part of measures taken by security agents to tackle the security situation in Numan, resisting an arrest or obstructing security personnel from carrying out their duties would be considered a serious offence.
PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigeria’s #1 new app
He said other actions which constituted offences are unlawful assemblies and movement of persons with arms in affected communities.
Representatives of farmers, herdsmen, politicians, traditional and religious leaders spoke at the meeting condemning the crisis and resolving to mobilize their people towards peaceful coexistence and the need for dialogue in resolving conflict.
NAIJ.com earlier reported how suspected gunmen killed nine and kidnapped nine children in an Adamawa village, Iware, along Fufore –Jada road, locals and police have said.
It was learnt that a local vigilante said some gunmen suspected to be militants invaded the nearby village at night, killing a whole family of nine.
EXCLUSIVE: Be patient with President Buhari, Femi Adesina tells Nigerians - on NAIJ.com TV
Source: Naija.ng