Chukwu David Erstwhile Senate President David Mark yesterday said tougher measures are needed to combat violent crimes and kidnappings in the country.
He told the Federal Government to designate the herdsmen wreaking havoc in parts of Nigeria, particularly in Plateau and Benue states, as terrorists. In his Easter message, ex-military officer bemoaned the bloodletting in the country.
The ex-Minister of Communications said: “We must not shy away from the truth. He said: “If they are not terrorists, why are they killing people? “Why are they destroying communities? Why are they chasing people away from their ancestral homes?”
He added: “Their activities are unacceptable and should not only be condemned but be prohibited in entirety as nobody has the right to take anybody’s life.”
Mark demanded the banning of open grazing in all parts of the country, with the establishment of enclosed ranching, which is the best practices worldwide.
The ex-legislator, from Otukpo in Benue South, also called for the establishment of a wellequipped Border Security Forces (BSF) to halt the influx of criminals into the country.
The former Niger State military governor added: “We must not allow criminal elements to stream into our country. “We must, therefore, change our strategy. Maybe, we can begin to think of fencing our borders like India, Israel, the United States and Mexico.
According to him, National Border Security Force (NBSF) will not only be saddled with the mandate of policing our porous borders but will also have the mandate of fighting terrorism, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
