Nigeria military raises task force to tackle armed Fulani herdsmen

The Defence authorities have said that the military is perfecting plans to operationalise the Special Task Force codenamed Operation Accord designed to deal with the menace of herdsmen in Benue State and other states in the country.



The Acting Director, Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar, told our correspondent on the telephone on Sunday that the Defence authorities had completed all arrangements and logistical requirements for the inauguration of the task force.

Abubakar said the military was only waiting to perfect ‘other things’ for the task force to commence operation.

It can be recalled that the Defence authorities were planning a task force codenamed Operation Accord to deal with the threat posed by the Fulani herdsmen to communities in the country with the operational headquarters in one of the states of the North-Central geopolitical zone.

Abubakar said that once the Operation Accord became operational, the issue of the incessant herdsmen attacks on communities in the society would be a thing of the past.

He said that the military was aware of the situation in Benue State and decided to hold this year’s Chief of Army Staff Conference in the state to send a strong signal that it would do something about the herdsmen challenge very soon.

He said, “Well, you are aware that the situation in Benue State is of concern to the military. To show our concern, last week, we had the Chief of Army Staff annual conference in that place, and that demonstrates the extent to which we have shown concern, just to send the signal that we will do something very soon.

“As I am speaking with you, the Operation Accord which is the brainchild of the Defence headquarters would take effect soon. All arrangements, all other logistic requirements, all the training, and what have you, have been completed and what is remaining now is just to ensure that all other things are complete before we move into action. And I believe very soon, the story will change.

“It is unfortunate and it is condemnable that this kind of thing, they claim, is being carried out by some herdsmen but I believe by the time we put all these things in order, all these would go.

“I am assuring you, I am assuring Nigerians that once our operations come into being, incessant attacks by herdsmen against innocent citizens would be a thing of the past.