The Federal Government on Saturday said that discussion is ongoing on the need to amend the ECOWAS Protocol on free movement of human and cattle within the sub-region.
This is coming due to incessant kidnappings and banditry across the country.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, revealed this when he featured on Channels Television programme ‘Sunrise Daily.’
He expressed worry that the killer herdsmen are foreigners who had penetrated the country, adding that the bandits and criminal herdsmen coming into the country through the land borders, could not be checked because of the ECOWAS Protocol that allows trans-human.
“The ECOWAS Protocols allows trans-human between all the ECOWAS countries. That is why we are thinking of seriously reviewing the ECOWAS Protocols in that respect. What we find out today is that a lot of criminalities have been introduced through the herdsmen and trans-human,” he explained.
Mohammed also added that the criminal herdsmen and bandits also have access to sophisticated weapons because of the proliferation and smuggling of small arms and light weapons across the sub-region.
“The issue of smuggling of small and light arms is a very serious one and it has to do with border control. If you go and build a house in the slum as a rich man, poor people will not allow you to rest. Nigeria is surrounded by countries that are either poor or land-locked”, the minister said.
