Fred Ezeh, Abuja

The National leadership of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, a Fulani socio-cultural organisation, has accused Benue State Government of raising Army of propagandists to discredit the organisation.

The association maintained that it would neither submit to blackmail nor propaganda targeted at making them change their mind and support the anti-open grazing law being implemented by the state government

The Benue State Government had, on Monday, reacted to a press interview by the President of the association, Bello Bodejo, in which he allegedly called for the declaration of state of emergency in the state as solution to the herders/farmers crisis.

Bodejo further reportedly told newsmen, in Abuja, on Tuesday, that the anti-open grazing law being implemented in the state, was in total violation of their fundamental human right of free movement.

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He added: “It is against the 1999 constitution as amended because it only made provision for farmers disregarding the plight of the pastoralists. The worst was that it only permit that herdsmen to lease land for one year and not outright purchase.”

Bodejo, however, accused some unnamed politicians who, he said, have connived with some states government to raise war against the Fulani and possibly extinguish the race.

He appealed to Nigerians to disregard such media and propaganda attacks on his people, stressing that it was the handiwork of some people who were bent on inciting Nigerians against them.

He added: “We are peace-loving people and we strongly believe in strong, united and peaceful Nigeria. We had entered into peace agreement with some local communities in the state and we want it maintained for peace to reign.

“In addition to that, we had approached Federal High Court, asking that it stop forthwith, the implementation of the anti-open grazing law in Benue State and other anti Fulani policies being proposed by some other state government.”