Over 4,000 herders return to Kaduna - SEMA

Hussaini Abdullahi, an official of the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has said that the agency has verified more than 4,000 herders who returned to the state after quit notice giving to them in southern states.

He said his agency and an NGO, 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.

“Most of them lost their means of livelihood, they told us they need food and non-food items urgently, but we have also observed that they also suffering psychosocial trauma and they, therefore, need psychosocial counselling.

“We will soon visit them and conduct a needs assessment of their situation to see where we can possibly assist them.”

Haruna Usman Dugga, head of MiyetiAllah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Kaduna, said the returnees had been sheltered at a game reserve.

“We have 4,000 Fulani herders comprising of 150 families who have relocated to the Labduga game reserve in the past week,” he said, adding that more were on their way.

Dugga said although there had been calls for all Fulani herders in the south to return, it had not been easy for them to do so.