Benue Govt Suspends Anti-Grazing Ban Enforcement

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has suspended the operations of livestock guards and the state para-military agency saddled with the enforcement of the state open anti-grazing law.

Naija News reports that the suspension was for a period of two weeks to allow all herdsmen with livestock in the state to leave.

The governor made this known at the end of the state security council meeting on Tuesday after over 130 persons were gruesomely killed across the state within one week.

According to Ortom, the suspension was to show a good fate to all those who claimed to have come into the state without knowing there is Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of 2017 that is solely anti-grazing.

He also said security agencies in the state have confirmed the receipt of President Muhammadu Buhari directive to fish out perpetrators of the mass killings across the state.

He urged security agencies to act fast on the matter in order to bring victims of the attack some form of justice.

Naija News recalls that no fewer than 86 people were killed by suspected armed herders between last Monday and Friday after attacks on Igbobi, Umogidi, and Mgban in Apa communities in the Otukpo and Guma LGAs.

Also this online platform reported that not less than thirty-four people were killed in an attack on an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Benue State.

It was gathered that the armed men invaded the IDP at LGEA Primary School Mgban, in Nyiev Council Ward of Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.

A resident identified as Jonah who spoke with Daily Trust disclosed that the armed men attacked the community around 9 pm.

According to Jonah, a pregnant woman and her son were among those killed while many people were injured.

The Security Adviser of the Guma local government council, Christopher Waku, also stated that thirty-four people were killed while over 40 others were injured.

Waku said he was at the scene of the incident adding that the people killed were displaced from their various ancestral homes and were taking refuge at a classroom in LGEA Mgban.

(www.secolarievoo.com)