CHIEF of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai has pledged to deploy soldiers to Benue State to assist the Police to protect lives and property of the people against any resistance to the Open Grazing Prohibition Law by suspected militant herdsmen.
Spokesman of the pan socio-cultural group in Benue state, chief Edward Ujege disclosed this to newsmen in Makurdi on Tuesday.
Ujege who is the president general of Mdzough U Tiv said that the promise of the army chief stemmed from the alarm raised by the leadership of the three major ethnic groups in the state.
The pan socio-cultural group which is made of Mdzough U Tiv, ldoma National Forum and Omi Ny’lgede had raised the alarm on alleged threat by the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore to invade the state with herds of cattle to resist the newly enacted law in the state.
Ujege disclosed this during the second leg advocacy visits across the country, added that delegation if the socio-cultural group had also written heads of the Police, the Department of State Services, DSS, the Navy and Air Force seeking their support for the successful implementation of the grazing law.
He explained that the similar petition had been forwarded to the leadership of National Assembly with the aim to draw their attention to the issue and also canvass their support for the smooth implementation of the law.
According to him, ‘in addition, the proactive action taken by our socio-cultural organisations has made the Nasarawa Government take precautionary measures to hinder the herdsmen/militia from using the state as launching pad to invade Benue State.
“The delegation through its advocacy has been able to obtain a pledge from the Chief of Army Staff that troops would be on standby to assist the police in case of an invasion.”
“The responses to our advocacy have been very encouraging with about seven states now contemplating the passage and domestication of a similar law in their states, we, therefore, commend Governor Samuel Ortom for setting a revolution that would change livestock breeding and animal husbandry in Nigeria.”
“We appeal to all Benue indigenes to rally round the Governor and give him all the support he requires to make this mission and all his other programmes successful,” the spokesman concluded.
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