THE amalgam socio-cultural organisations in Benue State have applauded the statement by the former Minister of Defence, Lt. General Theophilus Danjuma, that Nigerians should take up arms against the Fulani herdsmen who have been killing innocent People across the country.
The organization comprises of Mdgzou U Tiv, Idoma National Development and Omi’Ngede also said that the military has failed in its exercise cat race popularly known as ‘ayem a kpatuma’ been carried out in the state.
Spokesman of the group, Chief Edward Ujege who is the president general of Mdgzou U Tiv stated this yesterday during a press briefing in Makurdi.
Danjuma had said, “the Armed Forces are not neutral. They collude with the bandits. They kill people, kill Nigerians. They facilitate their movement, they cover them.
Ujege said that General Danjuma narration was the exact things that happen in Benue State, saying since the year 2010 to 2016, Benue State experienced excessive bloodshed from Fulani herdsmen attack where well over 2000 people were murdered and properties worth 95 billion Naira were destroyed in 2014 alone.
“Based on this, the Benue State Government through the instrumentation specified by the Nigerian Constitution came up with the law to prohibit open grazing and establishment of ranches which was a win-win case for both the farmers and the herdsmen.”
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“Instead of the Federal Government and the herdsmen militia accepting and implementing the law, the herdsmen went on a rampage killing 73 people on the 1st and 2nd day of January 2018 who were late given mass burial”, he stressed.
Ujege said, “the exercise cat race as far as we are concerned has achieved next to nothing, we have not felt their impact in the state and that is the truth of the matters.”
“Perhaps we will give it to them for aiding herdsmen and their cows to mindlessly take over our communities and destroy the food crops and barns of our helpless people.
“Within this period of the Exercise, herdsmen have become emboldened, they have besieged Benue communities with impunity, and the killings have continued despite the ongoing Exercise because herdsmen enjoy cover from the military.
“If they the military have a contrary view, I challenge them to present their scorecard for everyone to see. Our IDPs camps have continued to swell because the people are still being attacked and they are still running away from their communities,” he concluded.
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