Herders attack: Lagos CP waves olive branch

Worried by the frequency of attack by suspected herdsmen on villagers, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni has  urged those residents to live peaceful with their neighbours. Owoseni,who gave the advice at  a meeting with stakeholders in the state, said, “ it’s high time we all ask of how have we failed. The […]

Worried by the frequency of attack by suspected herdsmen on villagers, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni has  urged those residents to live peaceful with their neighbours.
Owoseni,who gave the advice at  a meeting with stakeholders in the state, said, “ it’s high time we all ask of how have we failed. The agitation across the country is for us to have a rethink.”
The town hall meeting came on the heels of the directives of the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, to all commissioners of state police commands.
Owoseni  emphasized that the Nigeria Police is an advocate of peace, tranquillity and  unity in the nation.
He said, “That is the reason the IG decided that we should champion the cause and bring people from all divide ( youths, men, women, road transport workers and artisans) together. Another mistake we make is to refer to herdsmen as Fulani herdsmen. Some retired civil servants even own cows. Even in our markets, some are sold by Yorubas.
“There is no Hausa, Yoruba or Igbo in this country. We are interwoven. The IG wants that spirit that we display in sports to be displayed in all things and live in peace. We don’t have a choice but to live in peace.
“We are causing havoc to ourselves without knowing. Violence does not pay anybody. One of the principles of community policing is partnership. We all have a duty to check the police. Tell us when we are wrong to help us chart a course for a better police.” 
He deplored the act of  kidnapping saying, the people that are kidnapping people either for ransom or ritual killings, it has expiry date.
“This is because what you are doing needs to be serviced and if you keep doing it, one day, the thing will require for your own blood,” he said.