… urges FG to initiate an independent probe of killings
The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has berated the governor of Nasarawa state, Governor Abdullahi Audu Sule and the former Emir of Kano state, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi over their comments on the alleged killing of 37 herdsmen in Rukubi community of Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State on Wednesday, January 26, 2023.
While challenging the duo to substantiate their positions with evidence, MBF stressed that their comments are not helping the already bad situation.
The socio-political organisation in a statement by its National President, Dr. Pogu Bitrus, called on the Federal Government to set up an independent probe of the Nasarawa killings with pictures of the slain herders and also their cattle as bombs don’t discriminate so as to ascertain the claims by the Nasarawa state governor and others alike.
MBF said: “The attention of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has been drawn to the alleged killing of no fewer than 37 herdsmen in Rukubi community of Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State on Wednesday, January 26, 2023.
“Since the incident, there have been conflicting reports on what actually transpired. Governor Abdullahi Audu Sule of Nasarawa declared on Thursday, January 26, that the herdsmen were killed through what looked like a drone attack. The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) said since the military was the only authority to deploy drone attacks; the Federal Government should wade into the matter to bring the culprits to book.
It added, “We are aware that the Nigerian Air Force undertook an operation against terrorist targets in areas bordering Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba in the same period. Also, there was no report of cattle casualties mentioned in any of the reports in spite of the claim that the victims are Fulani who just redeemed their cattle from the Benue State Government.
“Amidst the confusion that has trailed these killings, the deposed emir of Kano, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, recently added fuel to the raging inferno when he accused the Benue State Governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom, as the architect of the killings.
“In what was seen as reprisal attacks, militant herdsmen mounted attacks on Benue communities bordering Nasarawa, shortly after Governor Sule announced the killings without any shred of evidence to prove his claim,” MBF stated.
The group further said: “On Thursday last week, Governor Ortom informed Nigerians that there were premeditated plots by some highly-placed persons to assassinate him over the recent killings of herdsmen in Nasarawa State. He cautioned against inflammatory statements over security matters, stressing that Benue State is not involved in the alleged killings.
MBf further stated, “As the umbrella body of ethnic nationalities in the Middle Belt, the Forum is at a loss why the Nasarawa governor would just allege such a grievous crime without any proof to buttress his claim. While the MBF is opposed to any form of extra-judicial killing, we are shocked at the statement by the Kano deposed emir attempting to rope Dr Ortom on an issue that he (Sanusi) is not competent to speak on.
“Since the introduction of the anti-grazing law in Benue, there has been no love lost between Governor Ortom and supporters of murderous herdsmen who have always seen the promulgation of the law as targeted against them. In the wake of the enactment of the law, MACBAN and other Fulani groups vowed to ensure the anti-grazing law remains ineffective,” it added.
Speaking further, MBF said: “More worrisome, there have been sparks of violence among border communities between the two states that often culminated into the destruction of lives and property. All these orchestrated violence are aimed at weakening the resolve and commitment of the Benue State Government to implement the anti-grazing law described by the herders as obnoxious.
“We find the inconsistent reports on the recent alleged killings of Nasarawa herdsmen as yet another ploy to rope Governor Ortom into a matter he is completely innocent of. For those who should know, deploying drone attacks is completely the responsibility of the Federal Government. There has been no shred of evidence to suggest that the Benue State Governor is involved in the alleged attack.
“We completely disagree with the deposed Kano emir who is reputed to possess a penchant for inflammatory statements and even actions in the past, especially the murderous incident during the Gen. Sani Abacha regime.
“The MBF calls on him to exercise caution and desist from doing anything that is capable of undermining peaceful co-existence of Nigerians. He should allow the security agencies to do their jobs and stop fueling crises where there is none. It becomes contemptible when those who are expected to moderate their views before members of the public and promote the peaceful co-existence of communities are the same people inflaming passion in a bid to enthrone chaos and anarchy in the country.
MBF called on President Muhammadu Buhari to probe the killings of unarmed and defenceless citizens in various states of the Middle Belt Region in the interest of justice and fair play.
“Governor Ortom’s traducers must desist henceforth from accusing him falsely on a matter he is not involved as he remains the leader of Benue State who is not willing to let down his resolve in standing up for the democratic rights of his people in particular, and Nigerians in general.
“For equity and justice to hold sway, Nigerian leaders must learn to treat all citizens across political, ethnic and religious divides. We must eschew enthroning the supremacy of one ethnic nationality over others if we ever hope to build a just nation for all,” MBF stated.
“This is a better time to hold this election to enable Nigerians to choose whether to remain in Egypt with APC’s Pharaoh or to cross over to the promised land with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),” Frank said.
He called on INEC to resist any overtures to postpone the elections. He said to do so would be resisted by Nigerians who are already fed up with the present administration and are waiting to take them out of office with their Permanent Voter Card (PVC).Afenifere recalled that it took President about six months to constitute their cabinet in his first term just as his administration seems to be noted to dilly-dally where decisive steps are required – a situation that made some people dub the President ‘Baba Go-Slow’!
It maintained that the situation on the ground calls for urgent, well-thought-out, and pro-people steps so as to quickly put an end to the avoidable sufferings of the people”.
“The outcry of Nigerians forced the CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele to obtain the permission of President Buhari last week Sunday, to extend the deadline to February 10, 2023. But even then, Nigerians have been finding it very difficult to obtain not just the new notes but even the old currency notes from their banks and sundry financial institutions that deal with cash. The situation became so critical that people in some cities in the country protested. The protest led to the death of at least two people in Ibadan on Friday last week,” Afenifere stated.
Afenifere called on bank officials and others who are sabotaging the system to desist, stressing that what goes around comes around, pointing out that the organization stated this against the backdrop of reports of some commercial banks in places like Port Harcourt, Bauchi, Lagos etcetera hoarding the new currency while their officers refuse to load the Automated Teller Machines (ATM) with the notes.
The organization urged Buhari to come out boldly to instruct CBN to flood the banks with new notes and allow both the old and the new ones to continue to circulate for at least the next three months.
- FG moves to secure natural resources, as presidential committee meets service chiefs - January 25, 2024
- Kogi govt pays JAMB registration fees for 15,033 public school students - January 24, 2024
- Edo Guber: APC debunks aspirants screening disqualification rumours - January 24, 2024
