By Amos Aar
THE Benue State House of Assembly has called on the federal government to stop folding its hands while Benue people are massacred by suspected Fulani herdsmen on a daily basis.
Speaker of the House, Hon. Titus Uba, said on Thursday at an emergency sitting while adopting a motion of urgent public importance moved by the Majority Chief Whip, Hon. Thomas Mlanga, representing Ukum State Constituency, over suspected herdsmen attack on Gbeji Community in Ukum local government on Wednesday, 19th October, 2022. The attack reportedly claimed over thirty lives as more dead bodies were still being recovered as at the time of moving the motion on Thursday, 20th October, 2022.
Uba said the federal government and Nigerians at large should tell Benue people if they are not part of Nigeria so that they will trace their roots. He also recommended that if the federal government cannot protect the people, it should allow the state government to arm the newly recruited volunteer guards to protect the communities.
“You wake up in the morning, in the afternoon, and all members of your family are wiped out and nobody is saying anything. If Benue is not part of this country, Nigerians should let us know because these killings are so much so that every Nigerian should stand up and speak for the people of Benue.”
Uba who attributed the killing of Benue people to the state’s 2017 anti-open grazing law, said “instituting the Anti-Open Grazing and Ranches Establishment Law is not a crime. We are saying that the best practice for animal husbandry in this country should be done by way of that law. It is not meant to target anyone but it has made herders to be killing us, they come out and claim the killings but nobody is standing up including the federal government that is supposed to provide security for the people of Benue.
“We are also saying as an Assembly that the federal government should allow us to buy arms and protect ourselves if they cannot protect us. The herders have these arms and they parade them everywhere and nobody talks about it. But if a Benue man is seen with a cutlass, he is arrested that he is possessing a weapon.”
