Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has ordered all criminals currently operating in the State to leave or risk arrest.
This was contained in a press statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Tersoo Kula, and made available to newsmen in Makurdi on Saturday.
“Gov. Alia is serious about securing the state and ridding it of criminal elements,” it read.
The statement furthered that no criminal in the State would escape punishment, adding that nobody is above the law as long as the person is resident in the State.
Speaking on the Kwande attack on cattle traders, he stated categorically that “no Fulani person was among the two traders that were unfortunately killed by criminals as alleged by the Benue Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).”
He advised the PDP to join him to bring development to the State instead of continuously stoking the embers of hatred and sparking ethnic tensions.
According to the statement, Alia has directed security agencies and traditional rulers within the area to ensure that the criminals who attacked and killed two Katsina-Ala Local Government Area-based cattle traders are arrested and prosecuted.
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“The allegation by the PDP that it was Fulani herders that were attacked and killed is patently false and a figment of its blurry imagination which is obviously a decoy to mislead the unsuspecting public.
“The public is hereby urged to disregard such blanket falsehood which is the usual antics of the PDP drawn from its familiar tone.
“It has to be clearly stated that what happened at Nyihemba was purely a criminal act and the perpetrators must be punished to serve as a deterrent to others.
“It is therefore mischievous for the PDP to interpret the incident as though it was an assault targeted at cattle traders,” he stated.
The statement further quoted the Governor as saying that the State cannot be allowed to descend into a state of anarchy where impunity and lawlessness reign supreme.
While submitting that he would not surrender the State to criminal gangs, he vowed that no stone would be left unturned in ensuring that Benue enjoys maximum security.
