Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State on Friday raised an alarm over fresh influx of herders into parts of the state.
Ortom dropped the hint while speaking at the St Ignatius Quasi Parish, Ukpor-Mbalom community in Gwer East Local Government Area during the rite of atonement and purification of Mbalom land in honour of two Catholic priests and 17 other parishioners killed in April this year.
“This morning I was alerted that Fulani herdsmen have started moving from Nasarawa to Guma and Gwer West LGAs. But let’s us continue to pray,” he said.
The governor said some people in the high places were bent on changing the narratives of the Benue killings at all cost by blaming the tragedy on the victims when the alleged pepetrartors have on many occasions admitted their crime.
He enjoined citizens of the state not be intimidated by the challenges, stressing that the crux of the matter was not even about grazing otherwise the animal rearers would embrace ranching but a grand agenda to occupy the Benue valley.
Ortom however assured that the brutal killings of the priests and parishioners would never be in vain as he added that the incident would become glorious for the benefits of the people.
Daily Trust reports that some gunmen on Tuesday, April 24, this year attacked the worshippers while they were observing the 5:30am mass at St. Ignatius’ Catholic Church in Mbalom rural community of Gwer East, killing the priests and 17 others.
The Bishop of Makurdi Diocese, Wilfred Anagbe, in his sermon, said the mass was meant to atone for forgiveness from God on behalf of the deceased and cleansing of the Mbalom land which was violated by the killer gunmen just as he noted that the Catholic church would not keep silence over the matter, rather, the church will continue to cry until its voice is heard.
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