BEVERLY HILLS, March 16, (THEWILL) – The Benue State Government has held a funeral service in honour of the 26 victims of March 5 herdsmen attacks on Omusu community, Ojigo Edumoga amid wailings, cries and tears.
Speaking at the service held at St. Bernard Primary School Ugwu-Okpoga in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue state, the Governor, Samuel Ortom reiterated his call for the arrest of the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore whom he said were the sponsors of the killings in the state based on comments credited to them and published by various media houses.
Ortom declared that the activities of “killer herdsmen” have led to too much blood shed in the state insisting that there was no going back on the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment law.
The Governor while consoling the bereaved families said “the death of the victims and many others would put an end to the massacre of Benue people.
“I will also add that the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of Benue state has come to stay because it is the panacea to the farmers/herders crisis in this country.
“Moreover there is no land for open grazing to take place in our communities and at the same time have crop farming to go on concurrently.”
Ortom assured of his government’s quick response to every security issue in the state revealing that data was being gathered for the compensation of those who suffered losses and damages during herdsmen incursions in the state.
THEWILL recalls that the service was supposed to hold last week but the government postponed it because of the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday.
Also, the state had, on January 11, held a mass burial for the 73 persons killed in clashes between farmers and herdsmen.
