The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has accused the Federal Government of complicity in the various attacks by herdsmen, saying that government had been protecting the culprits.
CAN president, Reverend Ayokunle Samson in a statement said Nigerians were reaching the breaking point in their tolerance and patience on the incessant attacks and called for urgent action on the situation.
In the statement made available to Saturday Tribune by his Special Assistant, Pastor Adebayo Oladimeji, the CAN leader said the government had not shown any seriousness regarding the attacks, describing the attitude as a betrayal of the confidence of citizens who voted in the present administration.
“We in the Christian Association of Nigeria are forced to make this press release on the continuous inhuman and wicked activities of the Fulani herdsmen all over the federation who are going from community to community killing innocent farmers with impunity.
“They have killed more people than the Boko Haram sect and almost displaced more people than them. We are now reaching the breaking point in our patience and toleration of this wicked impunity before degenerating to a civil war.
“While the government has taken the battle to Boko Haram terrorists, the Indigenous People of Biafra, the Badoo boys, the Niger Delta Avengers and other groups, it has not shown any serious willingness to checkmate the murderous activities of herdsmen. This, to us, is a betrayal of the confidence reposed in this government by Nigerians when they voted them into power.
“Similarly, the government has failed to uphold the constitution which they swore to uphold because they have failed in protecting Nigerians from the attacks of herdsmen in the affected areas. If they continue to allow herdsmen to have a field day in killing people like this, is it not the Fulanis alone that would remain that they would govern? God forbid!
“We need to know why the intelligence units of all security apparatus we have in this country have not been able to discover the sources of supply of ammunition to Fulani herdsmen living virtually in the bush.
“Customs and the Immigration Service, together with the police, have case to answer. Who are the suppliers of these weapons? If the murderous herdsmen are foreigners, as it is being claimed in some quarters, why did we allow dangerous foreigners into our country to come and kill us? Our government has a case to answer, too.
“We are therefore tasking the government of the day and all security agencies to rise up to their responsibilities and we equally call on all stakeholders in this nation together for a solemn assembly that would address all these things and come out with a lasting solution to these senseless attacks,” he stated.
He also called on the international community for assistance in addressing the issue by joining in calling the government to action and providing relief for victims of the attacks.
Miyetti Allah to Gov Ortom: Make peace with your people
NATIONAL President of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Abdullahi Bodejo, has admonished Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State to make peace with his people as a means of putting an end to the renewed killings in the state, allegedly by Fulani herdsmen.
Bodejo, who spoke with Saturday Tribune in a telephone interview on Friday, said he was not in the country and was not aware of the recent killings in the state.
He, however, declared that Miyetti Allah was not responsible for the killings, saying that the association was not a terrorist group.
The governor had, in an interview, pointed fingers at the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, a faction of MACBAN, as the perpetrators of the killing of about 60 people in two local government areas of the state, on Tuesday.
Ortom, who called on the Federal Government to arrest leaders of the association over the killings, claimed that they perpetrated the killing because they were opposed to the anti-open grazing law he recently introduced in the state.
In response, the MACBAN national president acknowledged that his association was having problems with Governor Ortom for introducing the anti-open grazing law which he insisted that Miyetti Allah does not need.
“I am not in the country as we speak but I want to tell you that Miyetti Allah is not a terrorist group. We don’t know anything about the killings in Benue State, on Tuesday. I also want to say that we condemn the sad incident.
“We don’t know anything about the killings. The allegation by Governor Ortom that Miyetti Allah was responsible for the killings is a lie. We can’t go and organise the killing of fellow human beings. What do we stand to gain by doing that?
“However, we have been having problems with the governor since he introduced the anti-open grazing law in the state and we have been in court because we don’t want the law. Since we have been in court, the governor has been singing, calling for the arrest of our members.
“I want to make it clear to you that it is not only the Fulanis who are living in Benue that are passing through the state. We have other Fulanis from other parts of the country who pass through Benue in search of foods for their cattle.
“I want the governor to know that MACBAN is not only in Benue State. We are a national association with membership spreading all over Nigeria. I will only advise Governor Ortom to make peace with his people.
“I learnt that the police have been making arrests. They should try and get to the root of the killings. But the security agents should ensure that they do not arrest and punish innocent people because Miyetti Allah was not involved in the act,” he said.
Over 40,000 persons displaced in Benue
Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said over 40,000 persons had been displaced following the recent gunmen attack in Guma and Logo Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
The Executive Secretary of SEMA, Mr Emmanuel Shior told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi on Friday that the agency had opened four camps for the displaced persons in the affected areas.
Shior disclosed that Gov. Samuel Ortom had been extremely worried over the plight of the people.
“As we speak over 40,000 persons have so far been displaced as a result of the attacks on our people in Guma and Logo LGAs.
“Government has decided to open four camps, three in Guma LGA and one in Logo LGA, the camps in Guma LGA are in Daudu, Gbajimba and Agasha, while the camp in Logo LGA is in Ugba,” he said.
Shior said that the state government decided to locate the camps in areas considered safest in the LGAs for security reasons.
“The camps are in areas that are safe and enough security has being provided for the safety of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
“What we are doing at the moment is to open temporary camps except the one in Daudu that already has existing camp facilities, the others camps are situated in primary schools located in the areas.
“We do not hope to keep them in the camps for a long time, remember this is January and most of the affected persons are farmers who are still harvesting their crops,” he said.
Shior said that government was concerned about the security of the people and their communities to enable them to return back to their homes instead of staying in the camps.
He assured the IDPs that though they were displaced they were not misplaced as government and his agency would do everything possible to give them minimum comfort.
Police arrest 3 herdsmen with arms in Ogun
AMID reports of atrocities committed across the country by Fulani herdsmen, men of the Ogun State police command have arrested three herdsmen in the Eegua area of the state.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, said the herdsmen were arrested with arms and ammunition.
Oyeyemi said the suspects were still undergoing interrogation and might be charged to court soon.
He said a stakeholders forum comprising farmers and herdsmen had been constituted to look into the problem between herdsmen and farmers in the area.
The PPRO, however, debunked the rumour doing the rounds that some villages in Yewa North area of the state are under the siege of the herdsmen.
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