Benue groups alarmed by alleged planned attack over grazing law

The three main socio-cultural organisations of the people of Benue State yesterday raised the alarm over an alleged planned attack by herders to frustrate the recently enacted grazing law in the state.

Spokesman for the three forums of Mdzough U Tiv, Idoma National Forum and Ominy’Igede, Engr. Edward Ujege told Governor Samuel Ortom during a visit to the Government House in Makurdi that they heard of a plan by the leadership of herders to visit mayhem on the people of the state.

“The plot is said to be multidirectional and aimed to simultaneously invade and attack Benue from every angle so that there would be no escape for our defenseless people,” he said.

Ujege said the forum intended to reach out to the outside world, particularly the federal government, the National Assembly, the law enforcement agencies, neighbouring states, brother associations and the international community to intervene and assist them.

He said the state already had enough of the “conspiracy of silence” against its people and therefore the security intelligence just gathered about the “massing of cattle and militia to invade Benue” was necessary to be made known to the Federal Government and the security agencies except that “as usual, they may do nothing until Benue is over run.”

He said however that if the Federal Government could effectively tackle the menace of Boko Haram, Niger Delta militants, IPOB and other insurgency acts across the country, “one wonders why they cannot tackle the herders’ excesses.”