By Titus Atondu, Makurdi
The Cream of Benue State Elders under the umbrella of the 14 local government areas in the Tiv speaking areas also known as G-14 with their Chairman, Mr. Laha Dzever . and that of the 9 local government areas in the Idoma and Igede speaking areas with their Chairman, Sir, Moses Jima have unanimously condemned in its entirety the weighty allegations leveled against the governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom and the Benue State Livestock Guards of being involved in the recent Nasarawa massacre by the deposed Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi.
The Elders also described the allegations as a surprise.
In a text signed by the two chairmen of the Groups, Mr. Laha Dzever for G-14 and Siir, Moses Jima for G-9. tagged, RE: THE KWANAJA MASSACRE AND OTHER RELATED KILLINGS BY PASTORALISTS IN BENUE AND NASARAWA STATES: A REACTION OF FORUM OF CONCERNED BENUE ELDERS and made available to Nigerian NewsDirect read as follows;
The petition to Mr. President by fifty-two (52) eminent Fulani personalities led by the deposed Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido concerning the recent bombing at Akwanaja community in Doma Local Government Area of Nassarawa State on the 24th day of January 2023 came to us as a surprise. Most disturbing is the hasty conclusion that the governor and the people of Benue State and the legally and constitutionally established Livestock Guards are involved in the incident at Akwanaja. Nothing can be further from the truth.
Such an assertion coming from elders whom we hitherto, erroneously considered nationalists is even more disturbing. As elders, we should be guided by the truth and must reasonably apply caution in matters of security and ethnicity in this country. Mention was made by them of the use of drones, jets and aerial bombardments, a feat which can only be achieved by the military which obviously is not controlled by the Benue State Government or any of its functionaries.
Another false narrative that the Benue State Livestock Guards went outside their area of jurisdiction shows how far these ethnically motivated elders can go in an attempt to blackmail and give the Benue State Livestock Guards a bad name. The Benue State Livestock Guard is a body whose legitimacy has been severally challenged by pastoralists unsuccessfully.
Their statistics, as mentioned in this write-up is skewed in favour of pastoralists. However as at August 2021, Nigeria had recorded eight thousand three hundred and forty three (8,343) casualties through herders’ attacks on farmers with Benue State alone accounting for two thousand five hundred and thirty-nine (2,539) deaths, representing 33% of the total in three hundred and three (303) attacks by herdsmen.
On this, the deposed Emir Sanusi and his cohorts made no comment. Current figures in Benue State have exceeded six thousand (6,000) deaths, and as we speak, eighteen (18) local government areas in Benue State have been partly or wholely taken over and occupied by Fulani herdsmen, sending the indigenes to IDP Camps and other safer locations.
We therefore state our stand as follows:
“It should be clearly understood that neither the Benue State government nor her agents have a hand in the Akwanaja bombings in Doma Local Government Area of Nassarawa State. Therefore, any attempt to rope in the governor and the people of Benue State as portrayed by Sanusi’s letter is hereby totally condemned.
We would not celebrate or be indifferent to the killing of people of any ethnic group or religion. We similarly condemn the unfounded allegation by this group of elders on the Benue State Livestock Guards. The legally established body would therefore continue to enforce the Anti-open Grazing and Ranches Establishment Law of Benue State in order to protect livestock and crop farmers in the State.
We are disappointed with the Sanusi led group’s call for survivors to ‘exercise’ their right of self-defense by whatever ‘means available’ a threat to peace instead of suggesting peaceful solutions.
Benue State houses more than two million seven hundred (2,700,000) IDP whose conditions are continually worsening,
We condemn and protest the persistent and deliberate campaign of calumny against the person of Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State by Fulani groups: Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACABAN) and Fulani Nationality Movement (FUNAM). It is on record that these groups have justified, supported and even taken responsibility for the violent killings in Nigeria and particularly Benue State including the over seven assassination attempts on Governor Samuel Ortom.
We are aware of the renewed threats by the Fulani herdsmen fo attack parts of Benue State particularly Gwer West Local Government Area. We call on security agencies to act swiftly to forestall the impending attacks.
We do not only agree with the formation of a judicial panel of enquiry to unearth the incidence but also call for continuous dialogue and restoration of communal peace.
We emphasize that when Governor Ortom speaks, he does so on behalf of the Benue people and any attack on him is an attack on all Benue people.
It should be clear to everyone that Benue State stands wholely with their governor in all his efforts to protect his people who elected him into office. Therefore, attempts by any group of people to distract him will remain futile,” they concluded.