Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, has warned that his administration would no longer allow the passage of itinerant herdsmen through the state accusing them of perpetrating armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes in the state.
In the same vein, Obiano also announced that traditional rulers who failed to hold the mandatory periodic meetings of the Cattle Menace committee would be dethroned in line with the laws establishing the committee.
He gave this warning at the one-day stakeholders’ summit on Anambra security which had in attendance the police, army, civil Defence, Department of State Security.
The Governor said: “We have a census of the number of herdsmen resident in Anambra state and by the last census in January last year they were seventy-seven and I have directed our new police Commissioner to carry out another census and after the census, we will not allow herdsmen into Anambra state or passing through Anambra state.
“We have banned the passage of itinerant Herdsmen passing through Anambra state because they are those that cause trouble in our state.
“They are those that carry AK-47 and any herdsman that carries AK-47 is an armed robber and they are those that get involved in kidnappings and all manner of crimes in the state because they are on transit and cause trouble and go away.
“Before we know herdsmen who carry sticks and knife in case of encountering snakes or reptiles but not those that carry AK-47 about.
“I understand that there are some traditional rulers who have not been holding the periodic Cattle Menace committee meetings which are headed by the Police Commissioner and such meetings are also to be held in the local government areas.
“Any traditional ruler that fails to hold the meeting would have his certificate withdrawn from him because non-conduct of these meetings is against the law establishing the committee”.
Speaking earlier, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in-charge of the South East, Mr. Jeo Egbunike, lamented the killing of policemen in the South East, warning that the situation may likely deepen the level of insecurity in the area.
He further advised those making agitations in the South East to direct their complaint to political leaders in their areas.
