Fulani herdsmen, free to live, ranch in Benue as long as they have permits —Ortom

Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has said that despite the recent killings, the state would not send Fulani herdsmen or any other person away, but that herdsmen are free to obtain permit and then do the ranch and be protected.

This was among the many other things the Benue State governor told State House correspondents on Monday after leading some leaders of his state to a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The governor, who was responding to the insinuations that the implementation of the law caused the killings in his state said, “For us, we have seen that even before the law, killings were taking place even more than what we are witnessing today. What we are looking for are ways of getting out of it and we have found a way and that is the law which seeks to protect all.

“We are not sending anyone away from Benue State. The herdsmen; whether you are Igbo, Fulani, Hausa, Idoma, Tiv, anywhere you come from, you are free to obtain permit and then do the ranch and you are protected.

“Benue State will protect you from cattle rustlers when you do this and a farmer will also go to the farm without being intimidated or harassed by any herdsman. So, for us; we have communicated and the president has given us an assurance that he will protect lives and property and Benue State cannot be an exception.”

On the government’s move to establish cattle colonies Ortom said, “Like I told you the last time I came here, I did not understand what colonies meant. Today, I was privileged to meet the Minister of Agriculture and he did explain to me that a colony is many ranches put in one place, restricted in one place.

“So, for us in Benue State, there is no 10,000 hectares; we have no 10,000 hectares for that kind of a thing to take place. Other states have the land, but we in Benue State; we don’t have and that was what led to us enacting this law (anti-open grazing law).”

Lamenting the attack that saw several people killed and more than 60,000 people displaced, the governor said, “For the past five days, we have witnessed two killings compared to what happened before.

“Other places are relatively calm; the security men and the Inspector-General of Police and the Benue State Government have been working day and night to ensure that we bring the situation under control and stop the killings.

“There are still security issues from one town to another like a few days ago that we had uproar in the Makurdi Local Government Area, where some hoodlums wanted to take advantage of the situation to create confusion so they can loot.”

On what he and his delegation told Buhari he explained, “We made a strong appeal to Mr. President to arrest those people that perpetrated this act, the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, because they are not above the law.

READ ALSO: HERDSMEN KILLINGS: Those found culpable won’t escape justice, Buhari tells Benue leaders

“They made inciting statements against our people and they perpetrated this act. They are still issuing threats and it is not just anti-grazing law; the manner with which they came and invaded the towns and took over the land was something else.”

President Buhari had at the meeting assured the governor and his team that those who carried out the attack must be apprehended and be prosecuted.

He had also assured them that he would do everything possible to ensure that Benue State is peaceful and there are no further killings.

 

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