Muslim leaders in Delta state had agreed to join the government to check the activities of herdsmen in the state.
The agreement was reached on Tuesday, October 27, 2015 during a meeting that was held at the Religious Matters department at the Government House Asaba, between the Islamic leaders in the state, the Muslim Welfare Board and the leaders of the Herdsmen.
The meeting which was chaired by the Executive Assistant to Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa on Religious Matters, Bishop Greatman Nmalagu, agreed that there will be need to continue the preaching of peace, and harmonious relationship among the herdsmen and their host communities.
Addressing the meeting, Bishop Nmalagu called on Muslims and the herdsmen to see the people in their communities where they live as one and not as an enemy, that need to be killed or the destruction of their crops by any little provocation.
Continuing, he said, “The crops of the communities were this cattle’s graze and destroy are of economic importance to the people and Delta state in general”.
While also addressing the people on the need for peaceful coexistence with their host communities, Bishop Nmalagu also admonished the Muslim leaders on the need to ensure peace and unity among the Islamic faithful’s in the state as division within any religion, like Islam will not be a good one for development.
The leaders while agreeing to work with the state government, called on the government to create grazing areas in the state to curb frequent clashes involving the people and the cattle herdsmen, check the activities of elders of this communities who are involved in the unwholesome practice of signing land deals with the herdsmen, without the knowledge of the entire community, and to ensure that some cattle herdsmen who move from state to state are checked, as they often cause fights with the members of the host communities.
