Buhari- we are doing our best to end herdsmen attacks

President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to leaders of various groups in Benue State to convince their constituents that the Federal Government was doing its best to end the recurring attacks by armed herdsmen in parts of the country.

In a response to remarks by various stakeholders during a Town Hall meeting at the Government House in Makurdi, the state capital, yesterday, the President also urged them to show restraint.

He said, “The governor and I, and others here know that we will leave one day, but the relationship between farmers and herders will continue. I urge you to keep in touch with them and advise them to live peacefully.

“Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups with different cultures and nobody can question God for putting us together.”

He added that he preferred to quietly “read the riot act” to his appointees as he did to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris during the Benue attacks.

When he was told that the IGP did not relocate, he said, “I am getting to know this in this meeting. I am quite surprised.”

He added that he shared the IGP’s security report on the Benue crisis with Benue Senators George Akume and Barnabas Gemade.

He recalled that his nostalgic experience and memories with military officers from Benue State during the Civil War would never allow him to do harm to the state.  

He noted the successful efforts of the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, an indigene of Benue State, describing him as “a great asset” in his government.

He added that his administration would continue to empower farmers with loans through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Governor Samuel Ortom thanked Buhari for visiting and listening patiently to the representatives of socio-cultural groups, farmers, herdsmen, national and state legislators, elder statesmen and former leaders, among others.

Ortom said the recent attacks had displaced 170,000 people with children of school age constituting 60 per cent, while the attacks by armed herdsmen predate his administration.

He called for support for ranching, compensation for victims of the attacks and rebuilding of destroyed houses and farms, as well as the upgrading of the current military exercise to a “military operation.”

He said, “Let me call on the Federal Government and states to support and promote the ranching law, so that together, we will stamp out the menace of herdsmen and farmers attacks and cattle rustling in Nigeria. There is no known better and credible alternative to ranching.”

He urged the Federal Government to fix some major roads in the state and take over the state polytechnic and college of education, among other demands.