Ogun Assembly Urges NSCDC To Collaborate With Other Security Agencies To Secure Farmers Against Bandits, Herders’s Attack

Segun Ayinde, Abeokuta

Ogun State House of Assembly has urged Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC) to collaborate with other security agencies to protect farmers against bandits and Fulani herder’s attack on their farmlands.

It equally lauded the NSCDC for the creation of the Agro-Ranger unit within the Corps to protect farmers and farmlands across the country and help in addressing perennial crisis between herders and farmers.

The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, threw the challenge while playing host to the new Commandant of the Corps, Commandant Remilekun Ekundayo, during a courtesy call on the State lawmakers at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan Abeokuta.

Elemide charged the Commandant to make sure that NSCDC work together with other security agencies including the Southwest security Network, Amotekun, Ogun State Social Orientation and Safety Corps(So-Safe) Vigilante Service as well as Hunters Association to combat bandits and killer herders destroying their farm produce.

He assured the corps’ commandant of the Assembly’s plans to provide necessary tools through advocacy, promising that the the lawmakers were ready to give the needed support for the security agency to achieve success in securing farmlands across the State.

In their contributions, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Bolanle Ajayi, Minority Leader Lukman Adeleye, the Deputy Chief Whip Babatunde Tella and Hon. Waliu Owode, requested for the deployment of more Civil Defence Corps to the rural areas, especially for the protection of farmers and their farmlands, as well as other critical infrastructure.

They commended NSCDC for establishing the Agro-Ranger unit within the corps to protect farmers and farmlands across the country and help in resolving crisis between herders and farmers.

Earlier, Commandant Remilekun Ekundayo, lauded the State Legislature for using legislative instruments to make the State relatively peaceful in collaboration with other arms of government.

She stressed that the Corps had continued to perform its core functions of protecting the national critical assets and infrastructure, as well as protection of lives and property, including the creation of another unit (Agro- Ranger) meant for the protection of farmers and farmlands from hoodlums, bandits and wandering herds.

The Commandant added that, aside counter terrorism and anti-vandal sections of the Corps, the NSCDC also launched the Female Squad to man schools and protect children from kidnapping in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Education, while commending the State government for supporting the Corps, she requested for more support for the NSCDC to enhance its efficiency in the State.