From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Area Consultative Forum (ACF) has called on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency conduct an investigation into the recent killings of over 50 pastoralists and butchers around Doma, Nasarawa state by a purported Drone strike.
A press statement on Sunday by the Secretary General of ACF, Murtala Aliyu said circumstances surrounding the killing of the pastoralists called for thorough, adding that, “in a serious country, the death of one person is enough to attract the attention and intervention of the government”
According to the statement, “The Area Consultative Forum (ACF) is calling on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency conduct an investigation surrounding the Murder of over 50 pastoralists and butchers around Doma, Nasarawa state by a purported Drone strike on the 25th of January 2023. To our knowledge only government has the power to deploy armed drones.
“The circumstances surrounding the killing of pastoralists who went to Makurdi, the Benue state capital to retrieve 1250 impounded cattle from the Benue Livestock guards after paying a fine of N29 million to guards only to be killed by unknown people call for thorough investigation.
“Sources told the ACF that drone strike happened while the livestock were being offloaded after the owners were forced to take back their cattle in trucks from Makurdi.
This incident came barely six months after a similar incident in which hundreds of livestock were killed when a helicopter gunship belonging to the Nigerian Air force from the Makurdi Base Operation carried out the strike killing and wounding the animals and some herders in Awe also in Nasarawa state.
“In a serious country, the death of one person is enough to attract the attention and intervention of the government. The Nigerian air space is managed by the Federal Government through the Nigerian Airspace Management Authority (NAMA).
“So we expect the Federal Government to immediately fish out the perpetrators of this dastardly act, whoever they are to face the law. We however wish to commend the Nasarawa State Government for the intervention they made so far in giving medical attention and support to survivors and the victims’ family.
“The ACF condemns this unwarranted killing and extends its condolences to the families of the deceased and the Government of Nasarawa state.
“We called for adequate compensation to be paid to the families of the victims”.