Mr Samuel Ortom, the Benue State Governor, and his Nasarawa State
counterpart, Tanko Al-Makura, have disagreed on the location of the
Fulani herdsmen, who attacked several Benue State communities last week,
killing no fewer than 71 residents.
According to Punch Metro, while Ortom alleged that the marauding
herdsmen launched their attacks from their Nasarawa base, Al-Makura
faulted the Benue State governor’s assertion, asking Ortom the source of
his allegation.
Ortom spoke with State House correspondents after a meeting he had
with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on
Tuesday.
The Benue State governor said he would support any move, including
military option that could put an end to the killings being witnessed in
the state.
He however said he would not support the Federal Government’s plan to establish cattle colonies until he understood the concept.
The meeting, which was the first between the two leaders since
violence broke out in the state on January 1, afforded the governor the
opportunity of briefing Buhari about the security development.
He said although he had briefed the President on the telephone
immediately the incident took place, he felt there was the need for him
to meet Buhari personally after he had succeeded in restoring normalcy
to a level.
When asked for his position on the suggestion that full blown military operation be applied in his state, the governor said, “Anything that can stop the killings of my people, I will go for it. I support it.
“Any policy or any directive, anything that will help stop the
killing of these innocent people who are not armed, I will support it
because this cannot continue.”
The governor explained that the law on prohibition of open grazing
and establishment of ranching was made out of the need to ensure that
there was a peaceful coexistence among herdsmen and farmers.
Ortom said he did not understand the concept of the cattle colonies being proposed by the Federal Government.
He added, “I am waiting to be briefed about what colonies means. I don’t understand it.
“Like I keep saying, for us the way forward is ranching and
until this time I am talking to you, the way forward is ranching because
it is a global best practice.
“It is not just being practised in other parts of the world, on
African soil in Swaziland, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique,
almost all African countries that rear cattle, they ranch. So, why can’t
we do the same thing here?
“‘For the colony thing, I don’t know what colony is.”
The governor said the state had been witnessing peace since the
implementation of the law started up until the militias from the Miyetti
Allah Kautal Hore came and attacked the people.
He further claimed that the attackers and their location were known.
The governor disclosed that the attackers were camped in Tongua in
the Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, from where they
launched their attacks.
He said the gunmen still succeeded in killing two riot policemen on
Monday while one other was injured in another attempt to attack the
people in the Logo LGA.
The governor stated, “It (the situation) is taking a different
dimension. Just yesterday (Monday) in the Logo Local Government, mobile
policemen that were deployed in Logo to keep vigil to protect the people
and the land, these militia came, exchanged fire with them, caught two
of them and slaughtered them like goats.
“They shot another one, inflicted machete cuts on him and left
him in the pool of his blood but luckily, he did not die. We have taken
him to the hospital, we are treating him, the other one that was
declared missing was found today (Tuesday).
“So, when it gets to the level of militia killing security men
who are armed and are trained to protect lives and property, is it not
taking a dangerous dimension? Who is now safe?”
He said he had been writing to the leadership of the nation’s
security agencies since June 2017 on the need to arrest the leadership
of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, who he described as threats to the state’s
collective interest.
Ortom attributed the killings to the failure of the security agencies.
He insisted that the leaders of MAKH must be arrested and
prosecuted because his government could allow impunity to continue to
thrive.
On the claim by the Chairman of the Cattle Breeders Association of
Nigeria, Benue State chapter, Garos Gololo, that the killings were in
retaliation for the theft of 1,000 cows by some people in the state,
Ortom said, “You know that man is a liar. Gololo is a liar, he is a
wanted man in Benue State; we don’t even know where he is. He stays
somewhere and makes allegations.
“The other time, he said 1,000 cattle drowned and that the
herdsman decided to commit suicide by jumping to the river. He has not
come out to justify what he said.”
But Al-Madura described Ortom’s statement that those who attacked
his state were camped in Tango, Awe LGA of Nasarawa State, as
unfortunate.
Al-Makura, while speaking to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, said
it was unfortunate that Ortom could make such a weighty allegation at a
time his government was supporting him to tackle the security challenge
in his state.
He explained that the town that Ortom claimed was serving as a base
for the attackers was currently occupied by Internally Displaced
Persons.
The governor said, “I am really taken back. This statement is
most unfortunate. I will like to use this opportunity to say that there
is nothing like that whatsoever.
“If anything, the Tonga that the governor is talking about in
the Awe LGA is now the safe haven for displaced persons. As I speak with
you today, there are more than three IDP camps in the Awe local
government that cater to the number of people that have migrated from
Benue to Nasarawa.
“To be specific, there are more than 7,000 people that are
camped in Tonga. So, it is very ironical that a place that is supposed
to be an area that has become a safe haven for IDPs can now be called
militias’ camp.
“In that case, the militia do not need to go as far as Benue.
They have the prey within the vicinity of Tonga to attack. I think this
is most unfortunate.
“With the efforts we, as a state, are making and collaborating
and supporting the governor to find ways and means of solving this
problem, that Nasarawa State can be identified as an area where some of
these militants are coming from, is unfortunate.”
Al-Makura recalled that he and six other governors met the nation’s
service chiefs and some ministers for over seven hours on Monday on how
to solve the problem.
He expressed surprise that Ortom did not find it worthy to approach him and tell him of such finding.
“He could not approach me and give me an idea if there is anything that he saw or he is worried about.
“Besides, from all the discussions we had yesterday, there was
no concrete security report stigmatising any part of Nasarawa State as
harbouring people that are coming to attack Benue.
“I feel what should be of concern to us as leaders is the
plight of the people and any such statement that is inflammatory is
likely going to cause more confusion than what is already there,” he added.The Nasarawa State governor attributed the violence in Benue State to the implementation of the state’s anti-grazing law.
He added, “As it is, it is the implementation of the
anti-grazing law in Benue caused the problem and now Nasarawa State is
being infected by the problem. Notwithstanding that, we are being our
brothers’ keepers and good neighbours.
“I had to cut short my vacation and come to find ways of
helping my colleague. We have called all our security agencies to meet
to find ways and means of helping Benue.”
Again, herdsmen kill two policemen in Benue
But despite the efforts of various agencies to curtail the violence
in Benue State, dare devil herdsmen once again killed two of the
policemen drafted to keep surveillance at the troubled Logo LGA of Benue
State.
The ugly incident occurred on Monday at the policemen camp located at Awashuwa village in the same Logo LGA.
Logo, since the beginning of this year, became a troubled
community, where Fulani herdsmen had killed and maimed farmers in the
area.
This latest killing occurred when the herders attacked the camp of a
detachment of Mobile policemen from Mopol 13, stationed at Awashuwa
where they killed two policemen and one seriously injured.
Though they were said to have been repelled earlier in the day when
they attacked the camp, the herdsmen were said to have regrouped and
attacked the camp in the evening.
One of the policemen, who survived the attack, told newsmen that
the herdsmen invaded the camp in large number in guerrilla warfare
manner and overpowered the policemen.
They were said to have injured one inspector and a sergeant before
they slit their throats in a nearby bush in the area while they also
burnt some houses within the area after the attack.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, who confirmed the
attack, said a reinforcement was sent to the area from 13 PMF led by
the Commander, Abubakar Garba.
“Our men came under attack at Awashuwa in the LGA of the state.
They were ambushed by the herdsmen who had tried to attack them earlier
in the day but they were repelled. Two of our men were killed and their
riffles taken away,” he said.