Governor Sani Bello of Niger State has called for traditional and religious leaders’ collaboration in finding sustainable solutions to herdsmen/farmers clashes and cattle rustling in the state.

Bello made the call during a meeting with stakeholders in Minna, adding that there was also an urgent need for all security agencies to collaborate in tackling the problem.

While the security agencies need to play well-coordinated leading roles in tackling the challenges, Bello said government must also involve other stakeholders with local authorities, especially our traditional and religious leaders.

He expressed optimism that the development would boost efforts in finding sustainable solutions to the problems, saying government had met with neighbouring states to find lasting solutions to cattle rustling and pastoralists/farmers’ violent clashes.

Bello said the state had also keyed into the Federal Government’s policy on the development of grazing reserves and stock routes, saying twenty-three grazing reserves with a total of 111,975 hectares of land had been designated for that.

The governor reiterated the need to create platforms for close interactions and meaningful discussions among stakeholders in the collective effort to check cattle rustling and pastoralists/farmers’ clashes in Nigeria.

Bello said such move would also enhance trust building and harmonious co-existence in the country, urged stakeholders to embark on sensitisation programmes in their various communities to properly understand the socio-cultural dynamics of pastoralists to better engaged them effectively for peace and development.