Benue state governor, Samuel
Ortom has refuted the statement credited to the Minster of Defense Mansur
Dan-Ali that anti grazing law was the reason herdsmen are killing people.
The minister after a meeting with
Buhari on Thursday blamed the implementation of the anti-open grazing bill in
some states as the major cause of the killings by Fulani herdsmen in the
country.
Dan-Ali said the decision of some
states to enact laws banning open grazing triggered the violence.
But Ortom in his reaction
described the statement from a high placed personality like Dan-Ali as
provoking to the families of victims killed by herdsmen.
The governor speaking to newsmen
in Markurdi said President Buhari is being misled by people around him, adding
that Dan-Ali’s comment has implied the federal government has provided immunity
for herders and their cattle who now kill and maim.
“The comment from such a highly
placed personality in the country is quite provoking and could be likened to a
dance on the grave of those murdered unjustly by the gunmen on new year’s day.
“It is unfortunate that these
kind of people are manned with the responsibility of providing security for our
state.
“The other day, the federal
government came up to say the killings were done by Islamic State in West
Africa (ISWA) and the same minister was quoted as saying that we should
accommodate foreigners in our state.
“Foreigners who came here
illegally should be accommodated?
“I think people are misleading
President Muhammadu Buhari. The killings predated our grazing law and killings
have also been going on in others states without grazing law as we speak.
“I will conclude that the wrong
set of people are around Buhari and that pains me. What a country
“I serve a living God who would
surely in due course avenge the perceived injustice currently being done to the
people of Benue just as he urged his citizens to remain law abiding.
“They should stop diverting
attention and address the real issues of the moment as the matter has capacity
to consume the nation in the near future.” Ortom said
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The killings predated your administration. It has been going on for many years. However, the attitude by the Buhari's government to the killings is wrong and questionable. But then, we told all of you that worked for APC that Buhari was not good enough to be the president yet you refused. Now you can seeee
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