Kogi House of Assembly has called on the State Government to embark on biometric data capturing of all Fulani herdsmen in the state for proper planning, control and security purposes.
The call was made in a resolution of the house reached at plenary on Wednesday following a motion moved by the Majority Leader, Bello Abdullahi-Balogun (APC-Ajaokuta).
He said that the state had in recent times experienced influx of Fulani herdsmen as a result of the clashes between farmers and herdsmen in neighbouring states of Benue and Nasarawa among others.
Abdullahi-Balogun said that Gov. Yahaya Bello in humility and magnanimity had offered to make Kogi a home for every law-abiding citizens of Nigeria irrespective of race or religion as part of “tenets of democratic deliverables’’.
“The state has to ensure the security of people and property as a result of the influx of the Fulani herdsmen in large number to the state.
“There is also the need for the government to embark on head count of the herdsmen residents in the state.”
He, therefore, called on the state government, the local government administrators and the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to embark on biometric data capturing of herdsmen in the state.
Seconding the motion, Ahmed Mohammed (APC-Ankpa I) said it was a motion of concern to the people of Kogi, adding that the biometric data capturing would really help in checking the farmers/herdsmen hostilities.
“A lot of people had taken advantage of the Fulani herdsmen/farmers clashes to perpetrate evil but with this technology, we will be able to know the Fulanis in our midst, especially now that our government is making the state a home for all,” he said.
Supporting the motion, Hassan Abdullahi (APC-Dekina II) and Oluwatoyin Lawal (PDP-Yagba West) said the motion was timely in view of recent happenings.
Ruling on the motion, Speaker Matthew Kolawole said that with the biometric data capturing of the Fulanis from village to village, excesses of those destroying crops and those involved in robbery would be checked.
Kolawole said the head count had nothing to do with colony or ranch but the need to know those coming into the state.
The motion, thereafter, was adopted following majority voice votes.
