Wole Balogun, Ado Ekiti
Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has said that God will visit the blood of the victims of herdsmen killings on the heads of the killers and their sponsors.
Fayose, speaking in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, during a commiseration visit with Benue Governor Samuel Ortom and the people of the state, declared support for the Benue State Anti-Grazing Law and urged the people of the state to stand by the law, adding that: “since the law is for the Benue people by the Benue government and not for residents of other states, there should not be any problem about its enforcement.”
The southern governor was accompanied by the Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola; Chief of Staff, Chief Dipo Anisulowo; Chairman of the State House of Assembly Committee on Information, Dr. Samuel Omotoso and others, arriving at the Makurdi Airport at 12:23pm.
He was received by Governor Ortom and other top functionaries of the Benue State Government.
He visited the Genabe, Makurdi, mass grave where the 73 persons killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Guma and Logo local government areas of Benue State were buried.
Prayers were offered for victims by the Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola.
Governor Fayose also met with the former Governor of the State Gabriel Suswan at his residence.
Mr. Fayose urged the people of Benue State to be united in prayers, saying that “whosoever that is in government during the time of peace, posterity will remember him; while those in powers when innocent people are being killed in the most barbaric manner will not be forgotten too.
Responding, Governor Ortom thanked Fayose for visiting the State during its trying period.
He described restructuring of the country as the solution to the popular discontent with the current federal administration and the performance of federal security agencies.
Governor Ortom called on cattle herders in the middle belt state to embrace cattle ranching, declaring what he called “No retreat, no surrender on the total implementation of the State anti-grazing law.”
The governor chided the Police and the Minister of Defense for allowing a situation where strangers can display arms openly and murder people.
He further criticized the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris’ response to the crisis: “the IGP came just once and ran back to Abuja insulting me and dancing on the graves of the innocent people of Benue State.”
He reiterated his call for the Idris’ resignation, describing him as a bad influence on the President and suggesting that he has effectively turned himself into mouthpiece and defender of the herdsmen; further claiming that security agencies have allowed herdsmen to take over the business of kidnapping and killings and were being protected by the IGP.