Chidi Samuel || Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom on Saturday named the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris as one of the people responsible for the recent attacks by suspected herdsmen on Benue residents.
The governor was responding to Friday’s call by the IGP for the suspension of anti-open grazing law in Benue.
In a statement by his press secretary, Terver Akase, Ortom said that the IGP by that statement is complicit in the attack on Benue communities and the killings that took place beginning from January 1.
The statement read, “If truly the IGP said what was widely reported by the media, our conclusion is that his is a clear case of a man who is either on a mission to mislead the nation or is complicit in the attacks on Benue communities and the killing of many people by terror herdsmen.”
“Indeed it was this unrelenting spate of attacks that prompted the people of the state to seek a permanent solution to the incessant clashes between farmers and herders hence the law for the establishment of ranches as the best method of animal husbandry across the globe.”
“The law which has constitutional backing followed due process with the requisite public hearings and inputs from various stakeholders.”
“The police authorities had ample opportunity to also make inputs while the process was ongoing. They, however, failed to do so,” he said.
The statement went further to describe the IGP’s claim as unfortunate, accusing him of dereliction of duty.
“The unfortunate claim by the IGP indicates that some of those saddled with the responsibility of protecting and property and maintaining law and order have abdicated their duty and become accomplices with those undermining the very existence of the country. This is unacceptable.
“The Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of Benue State is certainly not the cause of the crisis as insinuated by the IGP. Mr Idris needs to be reminded that Fulani herdsmen attacked Benue State more than 50 times and killed scores of people before the law was enacted.
“The IGP should tell Nigerians if states like Adamawa, Zamfara, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Enugu, Edo, Plateau among others where armed herdsmen have killed hundreds of people also have anti-open grazing laws in place.
“It will be recalled that a few days after the killings took place and all fingers were pointed towards the direction of armed herdsmen, the IGP quickly rose in defence of the herdsmen and frankly tried to divert attention from the genocide being perpetrated by herdsmen with a comment that it was a ‘mere communal clash’. Did he not know that there was a law in place in Benue State when he made that first statement?
“With his latest demand that the ranching law of Benue be suspended, it is now clear where the loyalty and interest of the Inspector General of Police lies – certainly not with innocent Nigerians. He has now positioned himself not only as the mouthpiece of those who are killing Benue people but indeed as their shield. Little wonder herdsmen still proudly carry out sophisticated weapons and willfully terrorize innocent people in the state without being arrested,” Mr. Akase said.
The statement equally noted that the IGP spent only one day in Benue, contrary to President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive that he should relocate to the state.
“We wish to place it on record that contrary to the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari that the Inspector General of Police should relocate to Benue to ensure that the killings stop, the IGP spent only one day in Benue and left for a destination where only he could tell. No one has seen him in Benue since that day.”