Ortom dares Buhari, Miyetti Allah as Benue Govt. convicts 81 herdsmen, arrests 3,000 cows  

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has dared President Muhammadu Buhari and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association over the coercion of the controversial suspended RUGA vis-a-vis and the supremacy of the state’s anti-grazing law in Benue. Thus, Governor Ortom declared that over 81 herdsmen have been arrested and prosecuted while about 3,000 cows have been confiscated by the Benue State government for flouting the anti-gracing law in the state.

Ortom had insisted that all stakeholders in Benue State must comply with the anti-grazing law which the Miyetti Allah members had protested at the enactment of the law.

National Dailygathered that Governor Ortom at the weekend in New York, USA, revealed that Benue State government has prosecuted and convicted no fewer than 81 herdsmen while 3,000 cows have been confiscated for defying the state’s anti-open grazing law.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) had reported that Ortom made the revelation in a keynote address at the 2019 annual convention of the Idoma Association, USA, where he expressed satisfaction that implementation of the law had brought relative peace to the state.

Ortom was cited to have declared: “We are implementing our law, and there is relative peace. As at today, we have convicted 81 herdsmen. Some have paid fines; others are still in prison as I talk to you.

“We have gone a step further. Anywhere we see cattle doing open grazing, we go after them. So far, we have arrested over 3,000 cattle.

“The law stipulates that within seven days, owners of such cattle should pay fines and reclaim them. We have been collecting fines from them.”

Governor Ortom had challenged anyone with a better alternative to ranching bring it forward; insisting that ranching remains the best solution to the farmers/herders conflict.

Ortom speaking on “Security and Economic Challenges in Benue State”, which was said to be a modification of the theme of the conference that centred on Idoma land; had remarked that all parts of the state were facing similar development challenges, including insecurity, infrastructural deficit, unemployment, health and sanitation issues, among others, hence, his decision to broaden the scope.

Ortom acknowledged that only four of the 23 local government areas in the state which include Otukpo, Konshisha, Ushongo and Vandeikya, were free conflicts between locals and herdsmen in the last six years, noting that herdsmen have attacked the rest 19 local governments.

“As at today, herdsmen have attacked 19 of the 23 local governments in Benue, claiming over 5,000 lives between 2013 and 2018.

“Over 195,000 homes and 30 churches worth billions of Naira were destroyed in the attacks,’’ Ortom lamented.

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The governor commended the Idoma people in the U.S. for their support to victims of the Agatu attack in 2016; award of scholarships to Benue students, among other humanitarian activities in support of Benue State indigenes.

Ortom further commended them for good conduct and good ambassadors of the Benue in the US, observing that his record shows that no criminal case or report had been brought against any of them.