From Scholastica Hir Makurdi
Men of the Benue State Community Volunteer Guards, (BSCVG), have arrested an armed herder with a locally fabricated pistol in Makurdi, the Benue state capital.
The herder was arrested after he encroached on a farm land with his cattle in Agboghol community, behind Modern Market, a sub -urban area of Makurdi.
The arrest is coming less than 24 hours after the commander of agro ranger of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, James Okoh, was killed in Shaapera community during operation by armed herdsmen in Gwer West the state.
Bringing the suspect before newsmen in Makurdi on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Security and Internal Affairs, Joseph Har, said the suspect has committed an act which violates the anti open grazing law having encroached on peoples farm to graze.
While thanking the people for not taking laws into their hands, Har assured that the suspect would be handed over to the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and Public Order, Barr Felix Mnyim for prosecution in accordance with the law.
Har said “I got a distress call from Agboghol community behind Modern market by the River bank where the people farm there, that herders came to graze on their land and in the cause of trying to ask them to stop grazing one of them ( a herders), drew out a gun, luckily they over power him and apprehended him.
“Immediately, I deploy my PA who happens to come from that axis with men of the Volunteer Guards to the place where he (suspect) was apprehended with a locally made pistol as you can see here”,
“The one that interest me most is the level of reasoning of those locals to get a herder with arms and they didn’t kill him, but apprehended him and handed over to government. We want to officially present same according to law to the Attorney General of the state who will follow it up, because, experience has shown us that we got similar issue like this with evidence handed them over officially to the police, the police handed them over to the court, only God knows how they got bailed.
“So this time we want the Attorney General to be involved and make a public prosecution, because if herders are caught with arms as it is now, then the laws should take its cause, not taking laws into our hands.”
The Commander of Benue State Community Volunteer Guards, Capt Ayuma Ajobi, (rtd), stated that what just happened is a demonstration of their motto, “when you see something, say something”.
He thanked the informant who swiftly passed the information to the security adviser which led to the quick arrest of the suspect. He said after preliminary investigation the suspect will be handed to the appropriate authority who will now decide on what to do.
The suspected armed herder who spoke through an interpreter said it was his brother who strayed into peoples farm near the river at Agboghol community.
He said the pistol was found on him when the villagers search him. According to him, “I just bought it from someone who gave me one ammunition and the person was planning to come teach me how to use it, he said.