State police could curb farmer-herder conflicts, rural banditry – IPCR DG

Dr Joseph Ochogwu, Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, contends that state policing could effectively address farmer-herder conflicts and rural banditry in Nigeria. He emphasizes the importance of enhancing local intelligence gathering, fostering community engagement, and decreasing response times to security threats.

However, Ochogwu cautions that decentralized policing must be professionally managed and subject to effective oversight to avoid political interference, human rights abuses, and persecution of minority groups. He makes these remarks during a conference in Abuja on Thursday, which focused on peace and conflict resolution in Nigeria.

The conference explored various aspects of the issue, including farmer-herder conflicts in North-Central Nigeria and rural banditry.