Police ought to be neutral, protect all ―Ortom

GOVERNOR Samuel Ortom of Benue State has described as ‘unfortunate’ the statement credited to Inspector general of Police, Ibrahim Idris blaming the recent killing of innocent Benue people by herdsmen in the state on the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of the state.

According to the statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Terver Akase which was made available to Tribune Online in Makurdi on Saturday explained that the anti-open grazing law was enacted In the state to put a lasting solution to the unrelenting spate of attacks on the state.

He added that the law for the establishment of ranches was the best method of animal husbandry across the globe.

The governor said that the law which has constitutional backing followed due process with the requisite public hearings and inputs from various stakeholders.

“The police authorities had ample opportunity to also make input while the process was ongoing. They, however, failed to do so.

“The unfortunate claim by the IGP indicates that some of those saddled with the responsibility of protecting lives and property as well as maintaining law and order have abdicated their duty and become accomplices with those undermining the very existence of the country.

“If truly the IGP said what was widely reported by the media, our conclusion is that he is a clear case of a man who is either on a mission to mislead the nation or is complicit in the attacks on Benue communities and the killing of many people by terror herdsmen.

“IGP Idris needs to be reminded that Fulani herdsmen attacked Benue State more than 50 times and killed scores of people before the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law was enacted in the state. The law could therefore not have been the cause of the crisis

“The IGP should tell Nigerians if states like Adamawa, Zamfara, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Enugu, Edo, Plateau among others where armed herdsmen have killed hundreds of people also have anti-open grazing laws in place.

It will be recalled that a few days after the killings took place and all fingers were pointed towards the direction of armed herdsmen, the IGP quickly rose in defence of the herdsmen and frantically tried to divert attention from the genocide being perpetrated by herdsmen with a comment that it was a ‘mere communal clash’. Did he not know that there was a law in place in Benue State when he made that statement?

“With his latest demand that the ranching law of Benue is suspended, it is now clear where the loyalty and interest of the Inspector General of Police lies, certainly not with innocent Nigerians. He has now positioned himself not only as the mouthpiece of those who are killing Benue people but indeed as their shield. Little wonder herdsmen still proudly carry out sophisticated weapons and willfully terrorize innocent people in the state without being arrested.

“We wish to place it on record that contrary to the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari that the Inspector General of Police should relocate to Benue to ensure that the killings stop, the IGP spent only one day in Benue and left for a destination where only he could tell. No one has seen him in Benue since that day.

“Nigerians must know that contrary to the statement credited to the IGP, herdsmen are still killing people in Benue. It will, therefore, be wrong to say that enough security has been provided. At the last count after the mass burial of 73 victims of the attacks, about ten people have been killed in Guma Local Government Area, one killed in Logo and many more are receiving treatment in the hospital having suffered varying degrees of injuries with property worth millions of naira destroyed.

“Benue now has nearly 100, 000 displaced persons in seven camps established by the State Government. We, therefore, find IG Ibrahim Idris’ statement as mockery and a shameful dance on the graves of those killed in the state by herdsmen.

The statement further said that the constitutional responsibility of the police is to maintain law and order and not to make or criticise same.

That the IGP would have the audacity to blame a law made to ensure peace in the state and call for its repeal amounts to taking sides with lawless groups that gave the notice to invade and carried out their threats.
There is no surprise that the police ignored petitions for the arrest and prosecution of leaders of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, the masterminds of the current invasion and the attendant massacre.

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If the Inspector General of Police, Mr Idris is not competent to help bring an end to the invasion and killing of innocent people in Benue and other states by herdsmen, the noble thing to do is to resign instead of twisting facts to suit his objective.