Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Monday raised the
alarm that the state is under the siege of Fulani herdsmen, lamenting: "We
are helpless.”
While speaking to journalists in Makurdi after receiving the
Civil Society Organisations in his office, he stated that the security arrangement
in the state cannot curtail the influx as a result of their numbers.
Though Ortom lauded the efforts of the military Operation
Whirl Stroke (OPWS) in curtailing the insecurity posed by Fulani herdsmen
invasion, he added that the troops have
been overstretched.
While stating that the anti-open grazing law of the state
was still on course, the governor said his government is working to look for alternatives way that is legal to
complement the security agencies to
tackle the possible security breaches.
He said: "You know there is an influx of herdsmen in the
state but we are helpless because we are law-abiding citizens.
"Though the OPWS are still in town and they have been
doing their best but they are overstretched. They have been overwhelmed.
"They need more personnel and equipment because of the
superior power of the herdsmen. The advantage OPWS has is that they have
capacity on land, air, and sea.
"Our intention is to see all the Internally Displaced
Persons, IDPs go back home but we are faced with security challenges. Up till today, there are attacks in different communities in the State.
"Our law is still in place and nobody will stop us from
implementing it. Any herdsman who violates the law will be apprehended. Already
more than 400 have been arrested with 100 facing prosecution.
"What we have agreed in this meeting is to look for an alternative way that is legal that will complement with the security agency to
help them stamp out this menace, we are not going to fold i arms we are going
to move on," Ortom said.
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