PRESIDENT Buhari has given approval to the return of the open grazing practised during the 1st Republic where herdsmen used designated grazing routes to move their cattle to several parts of the country.
To this end, the President said he had asked the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to begin the process of recovering land from persons who have converted cattle grazing routes for their personal use.
Buhari said this during an interview with Arise Television which was aired on Thursday.
The President said the grazing routes were designated in the 1st Republic when “Nigerians use to obey laws” but those routes had been converted.
Buhari was reacting to a question on the decision by 17 southern governors to ban open grazing.
In the same interview, he said Fulani herders attacking farmers with sophisticated firearms such as AK-47 rifles are not Nigerians.
Buhari said the Nigerian Fulani herders only carry sticks and machetes to harvest herbs for their cattle.
“The issue is that we don’t comprehend the culture of cattle ranchers.
“The Nigerian cattle rearers do not carry anything more than a stick.
“Sometimes they carry machetes to just cut some herbs for the cattle,” he said.
“But those foreigners from other parts of Africa are carrying AK-47.
“From the Saharan area, people run to Nigeria and Fulani from Kenya and other Central Africa look the same so when you see them you think they are Nigerian Fulani.
“I assure you that we are trying to ensure that we make them accountable”.
