Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, on Saturday, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare armed herdsmen killing innocent people in rural communities of the state as terrorists.
Ortom said the call became necessary following repeated alleged herders’ attacks on different communities of the state in the last couple of months.
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The governor, in a statement by his spokesman, Terver Akase, indicated that the latest of such attacks took place on Friday night at Tse-Chembe community near Anyiin in Logo Local Government Area where the herders allegedly murdered seven persons in cold blood and left many others badly injured.
He condemned the invasion and killings, describing the situation as unacceptable even as he stressed that Benue State had a law which prohibits open grazing of livestock.
He added that only a terrorist group would deliberately choose to violate the legislation as the alleged herders have done since the law was enacted in 2017.
Ortom added that declaring the armed herders operating in Benue State as terrorists will end the wave of impunity and guarantee the rule of law even as he urged people of the state, particularly those living in the affected areas, to report any suspicious persons to security agencies.
The governor commended officers and men of Operation Whirl Stroke for their prompt responses to distress calls, particularly that of Friday night when the people of Tse-Chembe came under armed herdsmen’s attacks.
He reassured Benue people that his administration will not surrender the state to criminal elements, be they herders or any other group, emphasising that no amount of threats and attacks would stop the enforcement of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of the State.
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