The National Economic Council have raised the alarm over “imminent shortage of food in the entire country” due to mercenary attacks in 17 states.
The NEC is chaired by the Vice President, Namadi Sambo, and made up of the 36 state governors and a number of ministers. The NEC’s meeting of Thursday, its first since June 2013, called for urgent security measures to stem the attacks.
Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State, alongside Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Gabriel Suswam of Benue states and the Minister of State for Works and Supervising Minister of National Planning, Bashir Yuguda, briefed journalists after the meeting.
The governors said that unless urgent steps were taken to put an end to the incessant attacks against farmers in the states, the farmers may not be able to return to their farms ahead of the farming season, which could lead to food shortage in the country.
Hundreds of people have been killed in such clashes and thousands displaced.
According to the governors, the displacement of farmers in the affected states was a matter of great concern to both the federal and state governments.
The Council mandated the Vice President to hold an urgent consultation with President Goodluck Jonathan so that an emergency meeting will be conveyed of all the affected states so that we can find an immediate solution to the problem.
The governor said Council also received a presentation by the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, a retired colonel, on the incessant conflicts between farmers and pastorialists. The presentation highlighted the challenges and solutions to the conflicts in Nigeria. Apart from the pastoralists, some yet-to-be identified mercenaries had also invaded the affected states.
Speaking on the military style tactics employed by the mercenaries, Governor Suswam stated that some of the insurgents have been found to wear military uniforms during their operations making tracking them more difficult.
He disclosed that a comprehensive discussion was held in the Council and the Governors of Delta and Edo states said that people came into their states in trucks without cattle.
Mr. Suswam said that some of the female members of the mercenary groups that have been arrested so far were found with AK47 assault rifles.
A Technical Committee would be set up to come up with recommendations on how to manage incessant conflicts between crop farmers and pastorialists, to report within 2 weeks.