The Nigerian Army has deployed special troops to Benue and Nasarawa states to confront the spate of killings emanating from herdsmen-farmers’ clashes.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, disclosed this in Abuja, Tuesday, during the presentation of farm implements and items to the Nigerian Army Farms and Ranches, Giri, Abuja, by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh.
Buratai, who said the Army will continue to deploy special forces to ensure harmonious coexistence between herders and farmers, noted that there is a link between physical security and food security.
He said the Army through its Barracks Investment Initiative Programme (BIIP), has initiated various productive ventures especially in the agriculture value chains.
The Army Chief also stated that the Army has about 1,000 cattle in its ranches in parts of the country.
“It is our desire to extend the frontiers of the Nigerian Army from physical security to food security. Agriculture is very important in job creation.
“Food security will radically reduce insurgency in the northeast, kidnapping and various criminal activities in other parts of the country,” Buratai stated.
The COAS further said that the Army recently acquired 436,000 hectares of land in Nasarawa state for its pilot agricultural programme.
In his remarks,Audu Ogbeh said the Federal Ministry of Agriculture assured the Nigerian Military that the federal government would keep supporting them in their initiative of ranching while calling on them to also expand into other aspects of livestock production.
“We have a little under 20 million cows in Nigeria. Brazil has about 305 million cows in their ranches. We are also getting demands of 120 thousand Carcasses of goats from other countries. We are not meeting the demand of that,and we want you to also venture into other aspects of Agriculture and lessen our food import bill running into billions of dollars”
Aside the 25 tonnes of cattle feeds, one reaper machine and other items donated, Ogbeh also promised to support them with 400m borehole for all-year-round water supply for the farm, plant trees to provide shade for the ranch.
He also directed the relevant department in the ministry to immediately establish the scientific cattle multiplication process through artificial insemination in the ranch.
HARRISON EDEH, ABUJA
