By; SUNDAY ODE, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has called on the government and people of Benue State to exercise restraint following the recent attacks on some communities, assuring that all the perpetrators of violence in the state will be made to face the wrath of the law.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina said Buhari stated that while receiving a delegation of political leaders, traditional rulers and elders of the state led by Governor Samuel Ortom at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to the statement, President Buhari vowed that all those involved in the conflict that culminated in loss of lives would not escape justice, including any illegally armed militia in the state.
The President commiserated with all the victims of the attacks, and the families who lost loved ones and properties, noting that the government would make efforts to ameliorate the situation of all the victims.
President Buhari said relevant agencies had been directed to start catering for the humanitarian needs.
“Your Excellency, the governor, and all the leaders here, I am appealing to you to try to restrain your people. I assure you that the Police, the Department of State Security and other security agencies had been directed to ensure that all those behind the mayhem get punished.
“I ask you in the name of God to accommodate your country men. You can also be assured that I am just as worried, and concerned with the situation,’’ he said.
The President told the delegation that his administration had already begun a process of finding lasting solution to the perennial challenge of herdsmen conflict with farmers and communities around the country.
President Buhari said the Inspector General of Police had been directed to relocate to the state to provide security for lives and properties, urging all Benue indigenes to trust the security agencies and report all suspicious cases of movements in the state.
However ,speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting, Governor Ortom maintained that Benue does not have land for cattle colonies as proposed by the federal government.
He also reiterated his call for the federal government to arrest the leaders of Miyetti Allah Association .
He said “as for the solution to the problem, we are open to suggestion from the federal government to find how we can find a lasting solution. The minister of agriculture happens to be a son of the soil. There are many options that are put on the table.
“Like I told you the last time I came here, I did not understand what colonies meant. Today, I was privileged to meet him and he did explain to me that a colony is many ranches our in one place, restricted in one place.
“So for us in Benue State there is no 10,000 hectares, they are looking for 5,000 hectares we have no 10,000 hectares to allow it for that kind of a thing to take place. So people are free. Other states have the land but we in Benue State we don’t have and that was what led to us enacting this law.
He also warned against reprisal attacks pointing out that in Benue State there is no room for anyone taking laws into his hands.
According to him, It is expected even when you are offended or someone violates the law, the best thing to do is to report, by that they will be able to mete out sanctions on such people.
“Butt when you take laws into your hand you are inviting anarchy and we will not accept this,” he added.
Ortom also disclosed that the delegation made a strong appeal to President Buhari to arrest those people that perpetrated this act, the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, because they are not above the law pointing out that they made inciting statements against the people and they came and perpetrated this act.
He said” And until this time I speak to you, they are still issuing out threats and it is not just anti-grazing law, it is occupation because the manner with which they come and invade the man and take over the land it is something.
“. I am not sure willing to join issues with anyone. We are law abiding citizens, we are not going to let our people go out of control.
“We believe in the leadership of Mr. President because he is discipline and is an upright man and we believe he will be able to sanction this people and he did assure us that there is no room for impunity, the law of the land must take its cause. So those perpetrators, the IG was in the meeting, he directed the IG to arrest those who perpetrated this act and prosecute according to the law.
“And assured us that he would do everything possible to ensure that Benue State live peacefully and there is no further killings. So basically that is why we came to see Mr. President.
On reports that he wrote a letter to the president and did not get any response, he said “Like I said the President renewed his directive to the IG in our present that those how are perpetrating this should be arrested and prosecuted.
“And I believe that if no attention was given to my letter, I was told that it was being processed and I hope by now it’s been processed and that action will be taken now that the entire delegation from Benue State is here and Mr. President is directing the IG that something will be done about this matter because we cannot allow lawlessness and we cannot allow impunity.
Ortom stressed that when people violate the law and they are not sanctioned it becomes a problem.
He said people should be investigated and expressed the believe that these people will be arrested because there is enough evidence against them.
He also dismissed insinuations that the state government is arming militia groups in the state .
He explained “It is not true. I see that as distraction completely from the main issue that we are talking about. These people were not even arrested in Benue State.
“If we are being killed in the magnitude that we saw and we had weapons of what I saw in the media, I know that five AK 47s can sack a whole community.
“So if we had such weapons and I as governor my local government had been attacked and people killed, property destroyed and so on, so will I go and sponsor militia in Taraba State? Then you should go back to history.
“From 2015 when I took over I organized an amnesty programs which saw the disarmament of over 800 youths and more than 700 weapons were turned in which were destroyed in the presence of security men and the UN and the committee on small weapons and light arms from the Presidency. So it is not true, it is false. It is meant to turn facts away from the reality that is happening on ground.
On wether they are plans to have vigilantes in the state, he replied “We are in the process of doing that but we have livestock guards in place that is what the prohibition of the open grazing and establishment of ranching stipulates, that we should have livestock guards and that we are considering having that in place.
He further explained that the meeting was at the instance of Benue stakeholders and not Mr. President calling them to a meeting.
“As the father of the land, we felt that let us interface with him, not just coming from the governor but from the stakeholders. And also to send the message that I am not just not on my own when people try to accuse me for promulgating a law which they don’t believe in.
“This is a law that originated from the people and all the stakeholders as you see them, we are solidly behind this law. Because for us we feel that that is the best way to end this farmers, herdsmen clashes.
“The law is a win win , it provides security for the herdsmen and the farmers. And as far as we are concern the implementation of the law is going on smoothly.
“As I talk to you, several people have been arrested and arraign before the court of law both from the herdsmen and also from the natives. It may interest you to know that three of our youths who went and rustled cattle, killed some and killed a Fulani man were arrested by the police. They were detained and arraigned and are now remanded in prison custody in Makurdi.
“We have also arrested more than 18 herdsmen who violated the law and they were arraigned before the court of law. So as far as we are concern the law is being implemented without any hitch. These killers that came from the 1st of January about eight of them have been arrested and are going to be prosecuted. And that is what Mr. President said that he is not going to protect any criminal and we are happy about this. So that is where we are.
When asked what was the message from Benue people to the president , he said “
“We need assurance from Mr. President, we are part of his constituency in the country. As you know Nigeria is a federation and Benue State is part of the federating unit. There is division of labour, there are specific responsibility given to each of the tier of government as enshrined in the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.
” So we don’t have powers over the security of this country except the federal government, it is expected that the federal government will support us to enforce our laws and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“And so as the father of the land, we needed to communicate this to him. We have not committed any offense rather we are looking for a solution to a problem that has become an epidemic to Nigeria and we need a solution.
“For us, we have seen that even before the law killings were taking place even more than what we are witnessing today, that we are looking for ways of getting out of it and today we have found a way and that is the law which seeks to protect all.
“We are not seeing anyone away from Benue State. The herdsmen whether you are Igbo, Fulani, Hausa, Idoma, Tiv, anywhere you come from you are free to follow the law, 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 wanted him to know our feelings as our Mr. President and that we have communicated and he has given us assurance that he is armed to ensure that the oath which he swore to protect lives and properties he will do it and Benue State cannot be an exception, ” he stated.
On his part, the Tor-Tiv, Prof. James Ortese Iorzua Ayatse, said his entire domain had been thrown into mourning due to the incessant attacks.
“We want you to put an end to the gruesome situation,’’ he added.
Present at the meeting were Benue State Deputy Governor, Benson Abounu, former Senate President, David Mark, former Benue State Governor, Sen. George Akume and Sen. Barnabas Gemade. Others include Sen. JK Waku, Gen. Lawrence Onoja (rtd), Brig. Gen. John Atom Kpera (rtd), former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa, Speaker of Benue State House of Assembly, Terkimbir Kyambe, and other members of the National and State Assembly from the State.
