Benue, Nasarawa govs fight over killings

•Ortom: killers from Nasarawa •Your anti-grazing law caused it –Al-Makura

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Molly

Kilete and Magnus Eze, Abuja, Rose Ejembi, Makurdi and Wole Balogun, Ado Ekiti

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom and his Nasarawa counterpart, Tanko Al-makura, yesterday, traded words over recent killings by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Ortom fired the first salvo when he accused Nasarawa State of providing a launchpad for the January 1 attack that sent no fewer than 70 people to their untimely grave. He claimed that the Fulani herdsmen that carried out the massacre stormed the six communities of Guma and Logo local government areas from a camp in Tunga, Awe Local Government Area in the neighbouring Nasarawa State.

Ortom who made the disclosure at the Presidential Villa, Abuja shortly after he met behind closed doors for two hours with President Muhammadu Buhari has consistently accused members of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, who have have opposed the anti-open grazing law recently signed into law in Benue of masterminding the massacre.

While responding to a question on how many ranches his administration has created, Ortom said: “It’s not for me to create ranches, I know that as a farmer I have one in my farm and there are several other people who are free to use it. The permits are available for people who want to ranch their cattle to access land and begin to ranch. So, it is free for everybody and that is the right way to go. And since we started the implementation, there has been relative peace amongst farmers and herdsmen. They were doing well until this militia coming from this Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore came and attacked us. And they are known. We know where they are. As I talk to you, they are in Tunga in Awe Local Government. That is where these people are camped and coming to attack people.”

But in a swift reaction, Al-makura described Ortom’s allegation as unfortunate and inflammatory. He said the attack was instigated by Ortom’s anti-grazing law.

He said contrary to the claim, the Tungua place was not a militia camp, but a shelter for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of Benue extraction.

Al-makura who spoke to newsmen at the Nasarawa State Governor’s lodge in Abuja said: “I’m really taken back; this statement is most unfortunate. I will like to use this opportunity to say that there is nothing like that whatsoever. If anything, the Tungua that the governor (Ortom) is talking about in Awe Local Government is now the safe haven for displaced persons. As I speak with you today, there are more than three IDP camps in Awe Local Government that quarters and caters for the number of people that have migrated from Benue to Nasarawa.

“To be specific, they are more than 7,000 people that are camped in Tungua. So, it’s very ironical that a place that is supposed to be an area that has become a safe haven for IDPs can now be called militias camp.

“In that case, the militia don’t need to go as far as Benue; they have the prey within the vicinity of Tungua to attack. I think this is most unfortunate.

“Yesterday (Monday) we held over seven hours of rigorous interfacing with seven governors, service chiefs and some ministers and all our security operatives within the states and around Benue, and my colleague (Ortom) could not tell me this, he could not approach me and give me an idea if there is anything that he saw or was worried about.

“Besides, from all the discussions we have had yesterday, there was no concrete security report stigmatising any part of Nasarawa State as habouring people that are coming to attack Benue. I feel what should be of concern to us as leaders is the plight of the people and any of such statement that is inflammatory is likely going to cause more confusion to what is already there.”

Al-makura said notwithstanding the “unfortunate remarks” by Ortom, his state will continue to render help to the internally displaced persons.