Benue gov raises alarm over influx of over 1 million cows

BENUE State Governor, Samuel Ortom on Monday raised fresh concerns about herdsmen attacks saying there has been an influx of over one million cattle into the state after the launch of Ayem Akpatuma military exercise.

Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen. Tukur Buratai last Tuesday launched cat race exercise popularly known as Ayem a Kpatuma at Guma local government area of the state which he said would cover the whole state.

But the state governor raised the alarm on the influx of several cattle at the gravesite of 73 victims of Fulani herdsmen when he led the Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Dr Pastor Paul Enenche and his wife, Dr Pastor Becky Enenche to the site.

Orom appealed to the military to flush out the invaders so that the over 160,000 displaced people who were in eight camps could return to their homes.

He stated that after the mass burial of the 73 persons killed by herdsmen in the new year attacks more than 60 people have also been killed with three of the victims killed last week in Guma local government area by the herdsmen.

According to him, ‘we appreciate president Buhari for the deployment of soldiers to the state to keep the peace, but my concern is the influx of over one million of cows into the state despite the presence of the military.

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“There is a law prohibiting open grazing in the state.”

The senior pastor of Dunamis, Pastor Enenche who organized funeral service at the graveside anointed the land as a symbol to signify the breaking of yoke declared that the burial would also connote the internment of government and security failure, impunity, Jihadist agenda and all forms of evil in the country.

He prayed for God’s justice and judgment against the killers and their sponsors throughout the country and charged the earth to rise up against them.