Civil society groups link herds financing to money laundering, terrorism

A coalition of some civil society groups, the minority interest rights advocates in Nigeria (MIRAN) have called on the federal and states governments of Benue and Nassarawa to immediately constitute an all-inclusive panel of enquires in their respective states on the Agatu massacre and bring the sponsors and perpetrators of the heinous crimes against humanity to justice. The group advised the Economic and financial crimes commission (EFCC) to critically look into cattle herds financing as it can be inextricably linked to money laundering and possible terror financing in Nigeria. Speaking after an emergency meeting held in Abuja to deliberate on the state of insecurity in the country , the group led by comrade Iyah Iyah who is the executive director of CDLE Nigeria chided the recent position of the northern governors forum on the criminal activities of herdsmen in all parts of the country and accuse them of being economical with the truth and clannish with the fact as it were with the Boko Haram issues during the last administration. The group advised the Nigerian president to seek counsel and advice outside his political ranks and associates in order to address the conundrum, while stating that security is too important an issue to be left in the hands of government operatives and politicians to address. The group further expressed their disappointment with the state governments of Benue and Nassarawa, the minister of interior and inspector general of police (IGP). The group lauded the success recorded in the north-east against Boko Haram by the Nigerian military but warned that the feat achieved on that front is being eroded by the activities of the so called herdsmen in other parts of the country. The group also berated the leadership of the National Assembly of being selective as they were silent when the Idoma minority ethnic group in Agatu areas of Benue state middle belt Nigeria were being massacred and their lands occupied by the Fulani herdsmen in their hundreds and only came aloud after the ukpabi Nimbo community of Uzowani local government area of Enugu state killings, which shows how minority rights and lives are usually taken for granted by the Nigerian establishments. The group went further in looking into the patterns of insecurity in Nigeria and exhaustively examined the federal governments mechanism to govern it within the paradigms of its ant-corruption fight and advised the Economic and financial crimes commission (EFCC) to critically look into cattle herds financing as it can be inextricably linked to money laundering and possible terror financing in Nigeria.

Vanguard