The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Tuesday, has reportedly informed the Internally Displaced Persons, who were displaced as a result of Fulani herdsmen attacks, to go back home and use stones to defend themselves.
The governor said this during his visit to the displaced persons who were forced to flee their homes after armed herdsmen attacked Naka, Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State.
Ortom stated that the killings are now getting out of hand and it is time for the people of the state to start defending themselves against these incessant attacks.
He said:
“David in the Bible used ordinary stone to defeat his enemy, it is now time for you to stay at home and use the stone in your homes to defend yourself instead of running away.“I believe in the rule of law, equity and fairness, but I cannot continue to keep IDPs and l can’t afford to have another IDPs in Gwer West. This must stop. We must stop truncating the future of our younger generation.“When we allow laws to be violated and nobody takes action, it then allows for impunity and when you give room to impunity, it will result to anarchy which will in turn breed a lawless society.“Therefore, we the citizens must rise up to support the security agencies by way of providing lawful and necessary logistics such as information, equipment and financial support to back up their operations.“Just yesterday (Monday), a soldier was killed in Guma, security agents are not spared. Security challenges are enormous. The gruesome murder of 24 people by Fulani herdsmen is quite condemnable.“Time has come if you are willing to live in Benue State, you must be ready and willing to be law abiding.”
Earlier, the Chairman of Gwer West Local Government Council, Francis Iyanga, had disclosed that more than 22 persons were killed while seven others were injured during the attack on the communities.
According to him, he has been able to identify some of the herdsmen with their phone numbers which have been submitted to security agents for necessary action.
