₦airaland Forum

TEXT OF A PRESS CONFERENCE OF THE BENUE ARISE NETWORK ON THE FULANI HERDSMEN KILLINGS IN BENUE AND OTHER RELATED ISSUES, HELD IN MAKURDI, ON THURSDAY, 8TH February, 2018.

Gentlemen of the Press

We thank you for honouring our invitation to this press conference. We therefore welcome you. It has become compelling for us to address you on the continued unprovoked and vexatious attacks by the Fulani Herdsmen on Benue communities which has devastated Guma and Logo Local Government Areas.

It is our settled conviction that these unprovoked attacks are meant to further push an agenda which is to kill, destroy and take over the Benue valley.

We are disgusted with the response of the security agencies especially the Nigerian Police.

We address you gentlemen of the press to inform you of an alleged clandestine order by the IG of Police. He has directed a compilation of the list of all Benue indigenes in positions of authority within the state command . His intention is to transfer all of them out of the state and replace them with those who will do his bidding. We keep wondering why the Gboko DPO was invited to Abuja for questioning after a mob action in Gboko; yet those of Guma and Logo where hundreds of farmers are killed, and over ninety thousand people displace have not suffered similar fate. We call on the President, Police Service Commission to investigate this issue.

You may recall that few days after the signing of the Anti-Open Grazing and Ranches Establishment Bill into Law, precisely on Tuesday, 30th May 2017, the Fulani Socio-cultural group, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore under the leadership of Alhaji Abdulahi Bodejo (President) and Engr. Alhassan Sale (Secretary) in a press conference held in Abuja kicked against the Anti-Open Grazing and Ranches Establishment Law in Benue State, vowed to mobilize their members nationwide to resist the implementation of the law. The group also erroneously laid claim to being the real habitants of the Benue valley. Several threats were issued after this.

The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, the Benue State House of Assembly, ethnic and religious groups, civil society groups and several others condemned the threats from the herdsmen and called on security agencies to arrest the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore. They also called the attention of the Presidency to these threats by the herdsmen in order to avoid bloodshed in Benue State.

The herdsmen made good their threats on New Year Day by attacking innocent and defenseless citizens of the State in Guma and Logo Local Government areas, leading to the death of over 73 people and properties worth billions of naira destroyed. Till today, the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore is yet to be arrested or invited for investigation by the Nigerian Police or any security agencies in the country. Not even the comments from the Fulani Cattle Breeders justifying the killings in Benue and the threats of more bloodshed if the Anti-Open Grazing Law is not repealed or the statement by the Fulani Nationality Movement (FUNAM) that the killing of Tiv people in Benue State is well deserved has drawn the attention of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris to who is behind the pogrom in Benue State.

Instead, we have seen the IGP and the Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Jimoh Moshood act as spokesmen for Fulani herdsmen, a group rated as the fourth deadliest terror group in the World. We have seen IGP blame the killing of innocent and defenseless people in Benue State on the Anti-Open Grazing Law, and the Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Jimoh Moshood refer to Governor Ortom as a “drowning man” on National Television.

In the light of the fore-going, we call for the immediate resignation, dismissal or sack of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, and the Police Public Relation Officer, Jimoh Moshood. We demand a full explanation from the Nigerian Police on what the spokesman means by his assertion that the Governor of Benue State is a drowning man. We are aware that police officers guard Governor Samuel Ortom, if the police now refer to Governor Ortom as a drowning man, is the security of the Governor guaranteed? Is there anything the police know that we are not aware of? The bias and unprofessional conduct of police officers like the IGP and the PPRO is largely responsible for the recent ranking of the Nigerian Police Force as the worst police force in the world by the World Internal Security and Police Index (WISPI).

We call on the Commander in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari to act decisively by arresting the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.

In the same vein, we call for the proscription of the said Miyetti Allah group and a declaration that it is a terrorist group and should be treated as such.

Gentlemen of the press, you are all aware that the good people of Benue State stood firmly for President Buhari in the build-up to the 2015 general elections, and massively voted for him to become the President of Nigeria. President Muhammadu presented himself as a man of integrity, an unbiased Nigerian who is for everybody and belongs to nobody. Surprisingly, President Buhari’s Presidency has shortchanged the people of Benue State who overwhelmingly voted for him in terms of projects and appointments. As we speak, there is no single Federal Government project going on in Benue State. As that was not enough, after over 73 people including pregnant women and children were massacred in Guma and Logo LGAs, President Buhari failed to come and commiserate with the people that massively voted for him in 2015 and still support his administration. A President who is for everybody would have emulated President Donald Trump of the United State of America who was involved in Rescue Operation during Hurricane Harvey, or who would at least pay the people of the state a condolence visit.

Unfortunately, a week after 73 cows were killed in Nassarawa State, President Muhammadu Buhari was on a state visit to Nassarawa State which has a border with Benue State where 73 people including pregnant women and children were killed and buried in mass graves. The people of Benue State feel they have been duped by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Interestingly, the Police Public Relation Officer, Jimoh Moshood disclosed on Channels Television that, any organization that carries firearms must be approved by the President and Commander in-Chief of the Armed Forces. We are compelled to ask, who has approved the firearms being carried by Fulani Herdsmen?

In the light of fore-going, we call on President Buhari to turn his fatherly care to the people of Benue State and immediately, order the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to come to the aid of over 100,000 displaced persons in IDP camps in Benue State.

We call on the President to immediately disarm and arrest the Fulani herdsmen who move freely with AK’47 rifles. Failure to do this, Nigerians will be left with no other option than to believe that the President has approved firearms for Fulani herdsmen to kill innocent and defenseless citizens. This will leave the people with no other option than to vote out President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

As the Army prepares to commence its 44 days military exercise known as 'Operation Ayemkpatuma' in six states including Benue targeted at addressing the incessant killings by herdsmen, we wish to state that we have faith in the Army to curtail this menace, but the actions of the Federal Government has given the people reasons to suspect every move taken by the Federal Government, until proven otherwise.

We Pray the Army will use the operation Ayem Akpatuma to arrest the invaders and not falsely indict the governor of Benue State as seen in the body language and utterances of the IGP, Ibrahim Idris, Police PRO, Jimoh Moshood, and Defence Minister, Mansur Dan Ali.

Any move by Mr President not to go after the invaders but to turn against the innocent people of the state, who are victims, will not be acceptable to the group, the state, and Nigerians in general, and will cause the people to lose faith in the military like they have lost faith in the police.

Thank you and God bless.

Terfa Youghyough,

Director of Media and Publicity

Benue Arise Network

Will the authoritier hear ? . . .