Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom on Thursday said that his administration will no longer fold its arms and allow his people to be killed like animals.
Ortom who stated this during the presentation of patrol vehicles and motorbikes to the State security outfits known as Benue State Community Volunteer Guards, BSCVGs insisted that his administration will continue to resist the Fulani herders’ attack.
While stating that the state had been pushed to the wall with persistent attacks on innocent farmers by herdsmen militia, Ortom said he was still awaiting the approval of the president of AK 47 rifles for the state security outfits.
He said, “We are not going to sit and fold our arms and allow our people to be killed
“We are now pushed to the wall. We are not going to beg again. We will implore all men to resist being killed.”
Ortom also presented security vehicles to members of the Livestock Guards to enable them to move around the state and enforce the anti-open grazing law of the state.
A total of 25 security vehicles and 769 motorbikes; 23 vehicles and 460 motorbikes were distributed to BSCVGs and 30 motorcycles with two security vehicles for Livestock Guards.
Also, motorcycles were donated to district and clan heads to enable them to access their communities in the discharge of their duties.
The governor appreciated Operation Whirl Stroke, OPWS, and Civil Defense among other conventional security outfits operating in the state for their contributions to nation-building and equally commended the Community Volunteers Guards and the Livestock Guards for the hard work and resilience exhibited so far.
He appealed to the Benue people to support the guards to enable them to succeed in their duties saying recently, they have been able to provide intelligence that aided arrests and elimination of bad eggs in the society
Ortom who restated the need for the federal government to allow for the state police said “sceptics and pessimists have been trying to blackmail me.”
He urged the guards to continue to be law-abiding adding “Don’t do anything that will portray you as trespassing against the laws of the land
“Do your best in every assignment you are given and observe the rules of your engagement. Ensure implementation of the anti-open grazing law. Anyone doing open grazing should be apprehended.
“Anyone bringing cow into Benue by foot, whatever you see, take it. If you must, find a vehicle and transport your cows. Or ranch your cows. If you ranch your cows and something happens to your ranch, I can sympathize with you but if you disobey the laws you are on your own.
“Since we don’t have AK-47s, we will continue to do the needful so that the lives of our people will be protected.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
We’ll no longer fold our arms seen herders kill our people ― Ortom
