The Benue State Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. James Anbua, has said there is no proof that the current killings in some rural areas of the state had any link to alleged cows rustled by the locals neither did the villagers steal animals belonging to certain herders group.
Also, Special Assistant on Herdsmen Matters, Alhaji Shehu Tambaya, has said it was not true that the people of the communities which came under gunmen’s attack in the wake of new year rustled 1000 cows at any time.
Anbua and Tambaya in separate interviews on Monday in Makurdi, faulted the Benue State Coordinator of Myetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Garus Gololo, who reportedly told BBC that the cause of the present crisis in the state was as a result of 1000 cattle forcefully taken away from its owners by some local youths around the Benue border villages to Nasarawa and Taraba states.
"Gololo’s statement is nothing but propaganda. This is not the first time he would be doing this, he is use to lying. I urge security agencies to arrest him because he has to proof who and where those 1000 cows were rustled," Anbua said.
While Tambaya posited that Gololo is a serial liar, adding, "he is not even in the state as we speak so I don’t know where he got information about 1000 cattle rustled. He is still being wanted for the false alarm of 200 cows he alleged was missing few days after the November 1, 2017 implementation of the grazing law."
Meanwhile, Gololo, told our correspondent by telephone that the 1000 cows were taken away by some armed youths allegedly referred to as guards around the areas which bordered Nasarawa and Taraba states and that the whereabouts of the animals were still unknown.
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