The president of the Senate Bukola Saraki has explained how herdsmen acquire weapons, saying they get them from the neighbouring countries.
Speaking at the opening session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja on Wednesday, Mr Saraki said Nigeria is currently faced with the problems of herdsmen and farmers clashing with most of the weapons used coming from illicit acquisitions at the borders.
“The circulation of illegal arms within and across the states has increased the proclivity of conflicts within the sub-region,” he said
While praising the Federal Government for the recent rescue of 82 Chibok schoolgirls, he said the government must continue to fight terrorism in the country.
“The problem of Boko Haram and terrorism remains a clear and present threat to the security of the sub-region. There is no doubt that we have made remarkable achievements in this area especially with the recent release of 82 Chibok schoolgirls.
“While we celebrate this achievement, we must not lose sight of the continuous threat Boko Haram and all the terrorist groups in the region pose as a destabilising factor for democracy across the length and breadth of the sub-region,” he added.
In his remarks, the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Mr Moustapha Lo, said there was a need for West African nations to do more in the area of insecurity.
