Benue Killings: IG Unsettled, Apologizes to Benue People Over His Comment

 

The Inspector General of Police(IG), Ibrahim Idris, on Wednesday came under a barrage of criticism as he resumed duty in Makurdi, Benue State,  following directive from President Mohammadu Buhari to put a stop to the heinous killing of farming communities by Fulani headsmen in the state.

Idris, who reiterated, while addressing stakeholders at the Government House Makurdi, that his presence in the state was to restore peace in the area affected by the crises, assured the state that the hoodlums and miscreants responsible for the grievous killings will be arrested and prosecuted.

He said the police would carry out detailed investigation on the cause of the attack, noting  that a stakeholder meeting will be convey involving both Benue and Nasarawa States accused of harbouring Fulani militias.

Idris, however, apologised to the people of Benue State for referring to the recent herdsmen attacks on the state as communal clash.

He said: "There was a misconception of which I made at a press conference in Abuja, all I was trying to do was to convey a message that all Nigerians that we should be able to live together in peace; I apologise  for the misconception of the statement I made at a press conference in Abuja.

“I was only trying to convey a message that Nigerians should live together in peace. As policemen, we try to avoid divisive statements."

The IG was however unsettled when speakers after speakers accused him of complicity in the crises

Some of the speakers, including Chief Edward Ujege representing the three Socio cultural groups; Terrence Kwaghnongu representing the youths and Mrs. Rebecca Apedzan representing the women, insisted that only the military and not the police can curtail the herdsmen attacks in Benue State.

In their remarks, Prof. Daniel Saror, Justice Utsaha and Chief John Anteyin representing the three senatorial zones of the state all rejected the proposed cattle colony, insisting that ranching remained the only solution to herdsmen/farmers clashes in line with the global best practices.

Anteyin, while speaking, asked the IG "When you were a Commissioner of Police in Nasarawa State, there were a lots of violent attack on Agatu by Fulani herdsmen who camped in Loko local government areaof Nasarawa state. The Assembly member representing Agatu constituency, Audu Sule, who is here with us today, was sent to you for help and you said there was a limit to which you can intervene except when you receive orders from the headquarters, but now that you are now the headquarters yourself, what have you done"

While Terrence Kwaghnongu described the IG presence in Benue is an insult to the  sensibilities of people in the state.

"Your DIG operations told us on Television that the terrain is complex to you, are you now coming to clear the terrain?

We have this crisis because you refused to adhere to the global terrorism index, which rates Fulani herdsmen as the 4th deadliest terror group in the world.

We need the military presence here in Benue State because this is a genocide.

The president was in Zamfara when the herdsmen  attacked the state, he constituted a military taskforce to protect the north west.

He said  the herdsmen must be declared a terrorist organisation, and  the leadership of Miyetti Allah must be arrested.

Also speaking, Josephine Habba (CSOs), Rev. Fr. Solomon Mfa (clergy) and Chief Benson Ogairo (security expert) while alleging that a lot of killings of Tiv people were going on unreported in Nasarawa State, maintained that if President Buhari would not personally come to commiserate with the people of Benue at this critical moment, he should not bother to come for their votes in 2019.

On their part, the paramount ruler of the Tiv nation, HRM, Tor Tiv James Ayatse and the Speaker, House of Assembly, Terkimbi Ikyange noted that what is going on in the state is not about the anti open grazing law enacted in the state but about an ethnic cleansing agenda.

The Tor Tiv who said that the heartless destruction of lives and property in the state must stop particularly appealed to the IGP to ensure that any agenda to wipe out the Benue people is immediately aborted.

Governor Samuel Ortom at the meeting, described the attack as very painful disclosed that 73 dead victims of the attack would be buried on Thursday stressing that there is no going back on the anti-open grazing law.