President Muhammadu Buhari has once again dismissed calls for the establishment of state police in the country.
Mr Buhari also insisted on the reviving of grazing routes across the nation to tackle what he called farmers and herders clash.
While featuring on Channels Television Wednesday evening, the president also said there will be no political solution to the release of Nnamdi Kanu, detained leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB).
Igbo leaders under the aegis of Highly Respected Igbo Greats had appealed to him to ensure the release of Mr Kanu who was mysteriously abducted from Kenya but rejecting their plea the president said doing so will mean interfering in the affairs of the judiciary.
“There is one institution that I wouldn’t dare interfere with – that is, judiciary,” Mr Buhari said. “Kanu’s case is with the judiciary.
“But what I wonder is when Kanu was safely in Europe, abusing this administration, I never really thought that he wanted to voluntarily come to defend himself on the accusations he has made. So, we are giving him the opportunity to defend himself in our system, and not to be abusing us from Europe as if he was not a Nigerian.
“Let him come here, criticise us here. Nigerians know that I don’t interfere with the judiciary. Let him be listened to. For those who are saying that we should release him, no, we cannot release him.”
Buhari also insisted that grazing routes must be restored across the country to address the gory seasonal farmers-herders clashes.
“The Ministers of Agriculture, from Audu Ogbeh to Mahmud now; one of the issues I discussed with them is to go and get the gazettes of past republics, especially of northern states.
“There are cattle routes and grazing grounds, and herders are confined to those areas. Those that go outside it were arrested. So we said we have to go back to that system again to make sure that we prepare the grazing areas, windmills and even veterinary departments so the herders won’t veer into farms.
“What we have to do is start from bottom-upwards. We must ensure that the grazing areas and ponds are secured for them, so they don’t have to go through people’s farms.”
He also said that state police was not part of the options his regime would explore to address insecurity.
“State police is not an option. Find out the relationship between local governments and the governors. Is the third tier of government (local governments) getting what they should get constitutionally? Are they getting it? Let the people in the local government tell you the truth, the fighting between local governments and the governors.”
