Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, has said Nigeria needs a bill to regulate hunters’ activities across the country.
Naijaonpoint reports that Senator Jibrin emphasized that hunting remains a traditional part of life across the world.
Seconding a motion to establish a bill to regulate hunters’ activities, moved by Senator Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila on Tuesday, the Deputy Senate President stated that the Uromi killings would not have happened if such a bill were in place.
“I recalled how the killings of the innocent hunters led to national outrage, cutting across all segments of this country. Everybody, from the South to the West, from the Muslim to the Christian, was worried.
“But then we took solace in the quick responses of the federal government, the state governments and the Senate.
“You will recall that I visited the victims’ families in Kano South Senatorial District and donated N16 million to them.
“I also promised to follow up on this case until the culprits are brought to justice.
“Now, what is important is to ensure that those who committed that heinous act are identified and brought to justice to serve as a deterrent to those who might want to do that in the future.
“The governor of Edo State should be commended for being at the forefront of this effort, working with the police and all the security agencies to apprehend those who committed that heinous crime. That cooled down the tension all over the country.
“For those who don’t know, these hunters are traditional, professional hunters. We have them all over the northern part of the country. They go from place to place to hunt. Once they are able to get animals, they will bring them back and sell them.
“It was on that premise that they went to where they went to hunt, and when they were coming back, the incident happened.
“To address the matter once and for all, I stress the need for us to accelerate the passage of a bill before the Senate intended to regulate the affairs of hunters. We have hunters in every part of the world.
“So, there is a need to pass that bill so that their activities can be regulated. If the hunters are moving from one state to another to hunt, there should be an arrangement where they will be identified,” he said.