Ebun Francis || President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday during a stakeholders meeting in Markudi, Benue State said he was ‘surprised’ that Ibrahim Idris, the Inspector-General of Police did not follow his directive to relocate to the State at the heat of the crisis following the killing of over 70 people by suspected herdsmen earlier in the year.
“I am getting to know this in this meeting. I am quite surprised,” he said, at the meeting with Stakeholders.
He, however, said the meeting was not the best place to expose the inefficiency of his appointees. He appealed to Benue people to exercise restraint and live in peace with their neighbours.
The President also expressed concern on the incessant attacks on Benue’s rural communities and vowed to bring the menace to an end “very soon”.
He met with farmers, herdsmen, government officials and other stakeholders in Makurdi and denied insinuations that he was not interested in what was happening to Benue State.
The President said, “I cannot overlook the killings in Benue or any other part of Nigeria. I cannot do that. I am genuinely worried about the attacks in Benue and we are doing everything to end them.”
He said the insecurity in some states was a major concern to his government, and that concerted efforts were being made to restore normalcy to every part of the country.
He, therefore, appealed to the people to pay more attention to farming, especially rice cultivation. He said rice importation had dropped by 90 per cent since some states embarked on massive production of the commodity.
Governor Samuel Ortom while welcoming the President earlier, appealed him to upgrade the ongoing military exercise in the state tagged “Ayem Akpatema”, to a wider operation to effectively curb herdsmen attacks.
“If the exercise is upgraded to a wider operation, it will assist greatly in ending the incessant attacks and senseless killings by herdsmen,” he said
Ortom reiterated his call for the arrest of the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, alleging that the body was responsible for the killings in Benue.
He also called on the federal government to take over the management of the Benue University Teaching Hospital, College of Education, Katsina-Ala and Benue Polytechnic, Ugbokolo.
The representative of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Benue Chapter, Shetima Mohammed, however, denied responsibility for the Benue attacks.
He said, “Our association is a peace-loving one and the exact opposite of what is being portrayed.”