Benue State governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom, yesterday faulted Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali for attributing the invasion of the state by killer herdsmen to the enactment of anti-open grazing laws.
He said it was unfortunate that the minister prefer conferring immunity on cattle to human beings.
He said herdsmen attack on farmers is a monster that has the capacity of consuming the entire country.
He said as at Thursday, there were reports of killings in Guma part of the state.
Ortom, who reacted to the Minister’s claims at the Benue People’s House, asked President Muhammadu Buhari to caution the minister.
He said: “It is unfortunate, but I want to console myself that, that thing is not coming from the Honourable Minister. But if it did, I’ll say that it is very, very unfortunate. Then the solution to the security challenges we have in this country is not in sight having those kinds of people in position who are not able to give quality advice and to also proffer solution to the security problems we have here."
“For instance, if you say it is because of the law that killings by herdsmen are going on in Benue, is there any law prohibiting open grazing in Adamawa State? Is there any one in Plateau State? Is there any law in Kaduna, Ondo, Bayelsa, Imo, Ebonyi, Delta or Edo State?"
“In Edo State, cattle have taken over even schools. This is provoking. It is like dancing on the graves of those people who were murdered and slaughtered in this state on the first of January. “It’s unfortunate that you have those kinds of people who are saddled with the responsibility of providing security for our country. I do not want to join issues with him, but I will personally see him and try to find out why he had to say that."
The other day, a report came from the Department of State Services (DSS) that it was the Islamic State of West Africa (ISWA) terrorist organisation that is taking over, and I also heard that the minister was quoted as saying we should accommodate foreigners. Foreigners who come here illegally should be accommodated?
“So if a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is coming out to encourage our citizens to do illegal things, I now begin to see why they have given immunity that is the prerogative of the President and the Vice President, Governors and Deputy Governors, to herdsmen who kill and even to cattle.
“So, cattle in Nigeria have more immunity than human beings. This is unfortunate, and I look forward that he will apologise to us and retract what he said, because it is an insult on our collective leadership.
“It is wrong. And let the minister know that we are more intelligent than he thinks we are. We will continue to do the right thing. We’re not asking for anything outside the laws of this land. The law prohibiting open grazing that we have enacted was legitimate as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and as law-abiding citizens, we will continue to do this.”
Ortom asked the Federal Government to address the security challenge at hand instead of diverting attention.
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