Samuel Ortom, the governor of Benue State has called for the immediate arrest of the national president of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Abdullahi Bodejo, describing a statement he made on RUGA as a threat to the country.
Ortom made the call in a statement issued on Sunday, November 3, 2019, by his chief press secretary, Terver Akase.
Bodejo had been quoted in some dailies to have threatened that governors that refused to establish cattle colonies, also known as RUGA settlements, would not know peace in their states.
“…You are a governor and you want to enjoy peace in your state, you don’t need any long meeting, just create a particular area for the Fulani and equip them with modern amenities,” Bodejo was quoted as saying.
Ortom in his reaction described the utterance by Bodejo as inciting and direct invitation for anarchy.
The governor said, “No group should be above the law to be dictating to states on how to accord preference to it at the expense of other Nigerians.
“We call for the arrest and prosecution of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore president for persistently making statements capable of stirring crises in the country.”
Ortom added that the statement by Bodejo was not only a threat to peace but also a prelude to another round of attacks on Benue.
“They carried out their threat on the eve of 2018 New Year when their armed militia murdered 73 innocent persons, destroyed property worth millions of naira and displaced over 500,000 people in Guma and Logo local government areas.
“As a state, Benue will not take the current threat by Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore lightly. The law of the land is sacrosanct and must be obeyed by everyone. Any individual or group who wants to breed animals in the state should be prepared to ranch them.”
Also at a thanksgiving service on Sunday, Ortom reiterated the need for herdsmen in the state to be ready to embrace the anti-open grazing law.
The thanksgiving service was organised in his honour by the Independent Print Publishers Association of Nigeria at the Chapel of Grace, Government House, Makurdi.
The governor maintained that nobody was above the law and no group of persons or persons would be allowed to dictate how to govern the state.
He appreciated the president and members of the association for honouring him and promised to keep the flag of the IPPAN flying.
In his sermon, Michael Ewache, an evangelist of the Glory of His Majesty, Makurdi, said God approves leaders.
“If God has made a choice, everyone needs to follow because no one has the power to object to the choice of God,” he said.
