MAKURDI: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has charged security agencies to work towards gathering information that would ensure that that armed herdsmen terrorizing Benue State, were flushed out of Benue State. The President who was in Benue, on Wednesday, to commiserate with the people of the state over the killing of over a hundred persons in Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State, also urged security agencies ensure that the killings comes to an end. Meanwhile, the Benue State Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, has called for the establishment of a Special Intervention Fund for communities affected by herdsmen attacks, pointing out that such a fund would be used to support and rehabilitate displaced persons, among other interventions. But charging the police to arrest the perpetrators of the act, to serve as a deterrent, President Tinubu, told the military to put its ears on the ground and work on getting the desired information that would stop a reoccurrence of such incidences. President Tinubu, who was speaking during a town hall meeting at Government House, Makurdi, also directed that a Committee of Elders, comprising past governors and traditional rulers be established, to fashion out modalities for ending the killings and tackling other teething problems confronting the state. The President noted that as soon as the Committee was set up, he would convene a meeting that would be held in Abuja, where they would come up with ideas that would bring about lasting peace, adding that he would personally invest in the project. He further proposed the setting up of another Committee comprising the people of the state as well as non indigene, that would identify issues that would move the state forward. President Tinubu further advised Governor Hyacinth Alia, not to be deterred or distracted by comments from his critics, but should use such criticism as a stepping stone towards achieving his desired results. Equally, the President appealed to the people of Benue, to support Governor Alia, to succeed and to encourage him, in order to achieve his set goals, even as he assured Alia that he would eventually get the desired peace and a second term. While consoling families of the bereaved and the people of the state over the loss, the president said he was saddened that he was coming to the state to condole the people, instead of commissioning projects. In his address at the occasion, the State Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, said “The attacks on the peace-loving and good people of Benue state have persisted for well over decade. This, we have cause to feel is a calculated attempt targeted at annihilating us and taking over our ancestral homes. “Your Excellency, this visit of yours marks the very first time, we will have the president of the nation visit us on the account of insecurity. We believe this will bring an end to the security challenges that have persisted against our people in Benue State. “Even though our eyes of full of tears and emotional grief due to the loss of our loved ones, our properties, farmlands and ancestral homes, our hopes are ignited by your visit. “Before the visit, the service chiefs and different security formations have come and we are hopeful that, this visit will bring the lasting peace the people of Benue State have long yearned for. Your presence is a form of unimaginable reassurance and we are confident that, never again will our people be subjected to this degree of underserved and barbaric inhumanity. “Your Excellency, while we continue to mourn our losses and rebuild from the ashes of pain, we humbly urge the Federal Government to consider establishing a special intervention fund for communities affected by these incessant attacks in Benue state. “Such a fund would go a long way in supporting the rehabilitation of displaced persons, rebuilding of destroyed infrastructure, and restoring the livelihoods of our farmers and families whose lives have been upended. Our administration will keep working to ensure that our people are not only safe but can thrive again on their own land. “My inestimable debt of gratitude goes to His Excellency, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his love and concern for the people of Benue State, eminently demonstrated by his prompt visit to the state in the wake of the attack on Yelwata community. “The President’s decision to cancel other engagements of state concern to personally pay us a visit is an unquestionable demonstration of true leadership. We commend the efforts of all security agencies and formations in Benue State. We sincerely wish to solicit that, these efforts be improved and more drastic security measures be taken to confront these challenges better. Earlier, the Tor Tiv, HRM, Prof James Ayatse, had informed President Tinubu, that what was happening in the state was not farmers/herders clashes, but genocidal attacks that have been ongoing for over a decade. He also noted that he was confident of the capability of the president to end the killings in the state. The Tor Tiv, condemned the politicization of the killing by Benue sons, that would lead to a declaration of a state of emergency, he appreciated the president for finding the sons of the state, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) worthy of appointments into his cabinet.
