Farmers, herders clashes: FCTA to establishes agro rangers base stations

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) says it will establish Agro Rangers Base Stations to protect agro and agro allied facilities in the territory.

Dr Abdul-lateef Bello, the Director of Administration and Finance, Security Services Department, FCTA, said this at a news conference on Wednesday, in Abuja.

Bello said the measure was a roadmap aimed at tacking reported cases of farmers and herders clashes and banditry across the territory.

Bello said the administration had proposed the establishment of agro ranger base stations in three Area councils, Kuje, Bwari and Abaji.

He stated that the agro rangers which was a brain child of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development was conceived in 2016 and came into existence in 2019.

He said the establishment would enable farming communities access their farmlands.

The director said the initiative was a pedestal to drive the FCT administration’s peace and security plan for the nation’s capital, Abuja.

Bello also explained that in 2007, the administration envisioned the need to put in place a joint security initiative in conjunction with contiguous states.

He listed the states as Benue, Nasarawa, Niger, Kaduna, Kogi, Plateau and the FCT, which are called G-7 initiatives.

“Rangers are made up of officers specially trained to protect Agro and Agro allied facilities.

”The elite squad is highly skilled, mobile and equipped to carry out clearance operations to enable the farming communities access their farmlands.

“There will be three base stations in Kuje, Bwari and Abaji Area councils as proposed for take-off, and this is expected to reduce and curtail the clashes between farmers/herders, banditry and other criminal activities in the forest area,” he said.

Bello also disclosed that after series of meetings with farmers and Ardos/Sarkin Fulanis to resolve the perennial clashes between herders /farmers, the Ardos had pledged their cooperation in ensuring effective profiling of the Ruga settlements in the FCT.

The director listed other plans to include the deployment and installation of 112 smart cameras in the FCTA Secretariat, FCDA Corporate headquarters, AGIS, Archives and History Bureau.

He listed other areas for smart cameras to include the FCT minister’s residence to monitor the activities around these aforementioned campuses. (NAN)