Governor of Benue state Samuel Ortom has demanded an end to the senseless killings of farmers by the Fulani herdsmen. Ortom was reacting to New Year’s Day attacks on a community in the state. No fewer than 20 persons are reported to have been killed. The governor, who said he had the support of the security agencies, however, lamented their inability to apprehend those who had carried out such operations in the past
"We have arranged for the deployment of the military, the police and the civil defence but they are yet to arrive at the scene of the incident, so it is an unfortunate development, it is sad and we cannot allow this level of impunity to continue to happen in this country,” Ortom said during an interview on Channels TV.“I have the support of the security agencies, we are working fine, the implementation of the law since the 1st of November has been going on well.
"As I talk to you we have arraigned more than 16 suspected herdsmen and three indigenes who also attempted to rustle cattle in Benue state. The governor is enraged that not even one herdsman has been arrested.“I have fully intimated Mr President and he has directed that these people should be apprehended but I am afraid that we will hear the same story. "This has been happening. This is not the first time killings have taken place in Benue state but each time we have people that are going after them, finally in the end there is nothing so far.
These people come with sophisticated weapons, they go kill, slaughter people and at the end of the day no single one of them has been arrested in this country.”Asked if the people were being targeted because of the anti-grazing law, Ortom answered in the affirmative, saying that the herdsmen had threatened to resist the law.
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