About 4,000 herdsmen have moved into Kaduna state from the south following numerous quit notice orders given to criminal herders by some state governments in the south.
Journalists were told that a popular grazing community in the state, the Labduga community in Kachia Local Government Area, started witnessing a large influx of these herdsmen and their cattle last week.
The Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has confirmed this development when its official, Hussaini Abdullahi said they had so far verified about 4, 000, even as more are still on the way to Kaduna.
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“SEMA and an NGO, The Early Recovery Initiative are conducting a headcount of the fleeing herdsmen for possible assistance. We do not operate a conventional camp for them, they have been melting into the host community, sourcing immediate assistance from relatives and good samaritans,” he said.
Mr. Abdullahi said most of the fleeing herders have lost their means of livelihood and needed food and non-food items urgently. “But we have also observed that they are also suffering from psychosocial trauma and they, therefore, need psychosocial counseling. We will soon visit them and conduct a needs assessment of their situation to see where we can possibly assist them,” he said.
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In a related development, the Director of Publicity, Kaduna State Chapter of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ibrahim Bayero, has lamented over the plight of the herdsmen and described their condition as pathetic. Bayero said they have commenced mobilization of members to see how they could assist the returnee herders.
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