Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has warned that some of the state’s indigenes are importing herders from neighboring countries such as the Niger Republic to destabilize his administration.
The governor made the statement while addressing the state’s people on Sunday at the Chapel of Grace, Government House, Makurdi, the state capital.
According to a statement issued by Donald Kumun, Principal Special Assistant on Print Media, and made accessible to journalists late Sunday, the governor urged the people to be calm, stating that security agencies would safeguard their safety.
Alia revealed that those behind the influx of herdsmen into the state wrote letters inviting them to come to the state.
Bandits killed four people at Ikobi in the Apa Local Government Area of Benue State in a renewed attack.
The incident, according to a community leader, Atule Amodu, happened on Wednesday night.
The bandits were reported to have invaded the sleepy village where they killed four people.
The state government and the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria in the state were reportedly on the verge of reaching a truce.
A peace meeting was held on Thursday where both parties discussed strategies aimed at restoring harmony in Benue communities.
The meeting was at the instance of the state which has members of Miyetti Allah from the state on one side and the 23 local government chairmen, traditional rulers, and security advisers to the governor on the other side.
The statement said that the governor vowed not to tolerate any effort from any quarter aimed at destabilising the state.
The statement read in parts,
“I am quite saddened to speak about what some fellow Benue citizens are doing. What they are planting, planning, and executing is not in favour of the state.
“The security report has revealed that some Benue indigenes have gone out of their way to invite herdsmen all the way from Niger Republic to troop into Benue State.
“All in the name of bringing down his administration and this is unacceptable, but the security agents are doing their work.
“Security apparatuses are doing their work and those who would be found guilty of this, will not go unpunished. This is not the Benue we pray for. Electioneering period is over and now is governance.”
The governor explained that the herdsmen who had come into the state would gradually return to where they came from.
He, however, called on those who were not ready to join hands with his administration to improve on the development of the state to leave the state.
“Please if you cannot join hands with this administration to improve the state, to bring development to the state, where everyone has a sense of belonging, should please leave the state.
“I assure the entire citizens that they should remain calm for my administration is not ready to welcome any crisis in the state. Crisis is not the portion of Benue State.
“Security agencies are ready to do everything possible for the people to have peace. The influx of herders will not harm anyone but they will return gradually to where they have come from.
“The mischief makers who wrote a letter inviting herders to come to Benue State will be disappointed. I stand on the platform of new Benue where development of both human and infrastructure development is possible,” the statement added.
The governor appreciated the people of the state for always supporting his administration through prayers and urged them to continue to stand by him and the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Credit: Punchng