Anti- Open Grazing law Saves Benue From Frequent herdsmen Attack.
By Moses Gbande.
The Communities in Benue state have said, the anti- open grazing law introduced by the Benue state government to check the excesses of killers herdsmen have made them to sleep with their two eyes closed.
Spokesman of Guma local government Council of Benue state, Hon. Caleb Abba who made the disclosure during a security meeting between the Benue and the Nasarawa state Governments at government house Lafia also alleged that, herdsmen were imported from other countries to kill Tivs and other farmers both in Benue and Nasarawa states.
Abba who is the executive chairman, Guma local government Council of Benue state who doubles as ALGON Chairman Benue state, also blamed traditional rulers from Nasarawa state for abetting foreign fulanis to perpetrate mayhems on Tiv farmers in Benue and Nasarawa states.
He recalled the peaceful coexistence between Tiv farmers and fulani herdsmen, where they exchanged farm produce for their local milk ( Nono), but now reverse is the case, as the duo cannot meet face to face with each other due to the crises going on between them.
The Guma local government chairman therefore appealed to the Nasarawa and the Benue state government,Tiv farmers and fulani herders as well as traditional rulers in the two states to come together in order to find a lasting peace amongst the people of two states.
On his part, president, Tiv development Association ( TIDA) Comrade Peter Ahemba commended Governor Abdullahi Sule for his efforts in protecting the lives and property of the people of Nasarawa state, and also called for the setting up of strong security committee for the purpose of peace between Benue and Nasarawa states.
Ahemba who decried the frequent attacks on Tiv people in Nasarawa state by killers herdsmen also said,” Once there is a crises in Benue between fulani herdsmen and farmers, we the indigenous Tiv of Nasarawa State will be at the receiving end”.
He therefore appealed to the governments of two states to look for a permanent solution to the security problems faced by the two states.
Speaking earlier, chairmen of Awe and Doma local government Areas, Dr Usman Umar and Architect Ahmed Sarki called for a permanent boundary adjustment in order to tackling the current security problems facing the two states.
The duo used the opportunity to inform the meeting that at present there are over 4,600 Internally displaced persons ( IDPs) in Awe local government Area due to crises between Tiv farmers, and fulani herdsmen in the area. Pointing out that more than 10 persons died monthly as a result of open grazing policy of the Benue state government and called for the relaxation of the law for peace to reign in the areas.
Earlier in his welcome address, Nasarawa state deputy Governor, Dr Emmanuel A.Akabe and the secretary to the state government, Barrister Muhammad Ubandoma Aliyu expressed the need for the two states to profeer lasting solutions to the lingering crises between fulani herdsmen and Tiv farmers in both Benue and Nasarawa states, and urged the participants at the meeting to contributed meaningfully to the success of the meeting.
