MACBAN denies hands in Benue killings, seeks justice for victims

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Benue State has distanced itself from the recent killings in three local government areas of the state.

Our correspondent reports that at least 25 people were killed in the early hours of Tuesday in simultaneous attacks on several villages of Guma, Logo and Tarka LGAs.

The survivors of the mayhem claimed that their attackers were armed herders.

But, the state’s chairman of MACBAN, Alhaji Mohammed Risku, and his secretary, Ibrahim Galma, in a press statement on Thursday, condemned the killings and condoled with the Benue people.

The association stated that the attacks were not carried out by their members, stressing the need for the security agencies to investigate the matter and prosecute the culprits.

The statement reads in part: “We wish to state that the said attacks were not carried out by our members in the state as it’s been stated by the media.

“Because there are no single Fulani herders in Tarka and Guma LGAs; there is no any misunderstanding or provocation between the farmers and herders, particularly in the areas where the attacks were carried out.

“Therefore, we call on the security agencies to go after the culprits of these crimes wherever they are in the interest of justice.”