The Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has said that armed herdsmen are killing his people “in cold blood for reasons which are difficult to grasp and pin down”.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sir Tersoo Kula said this in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the statement, Alia said this while condemning the unprovoked attacks on Ayilamo and Mbachohon communities in Logo and Gwer-West Local Government Areas by suspected armed herders.
The state government confirmed twin attacks by persons suspected to be armed cattle herders on some communities in the state on Tuesday night. While one happened at Ayilamo, another took place at Mbalam, Mbachohon Council ward of Gwer-West, the state government said.
“Governor Alia frowns at the nefarious activities of the herders who maim and kill innocent Benue citizens in cold blood for reasons which are difficult to grasp and pin down,” the statement read in part.
The governor said Benue is an agrarian society whose economy is largely based on producing and maintaining crops and farmlands, and “we cannot watch our people killed daily on their farmlands and their villages for a cause very unknown to us”.
The governor, who lamented cases of alleged herdsmen attacks on Benue communities leading to loss of lives and property, said he will not rest until such barbaric acts are curtailed.
While sympathising with the families of those who lost their loved ones in the attacks, Alia called on security agencies in the state to quickly delve into the depths of the unfortunate situations and apprehend those suspected to be behind such attacks and bring them before the law.
He called on traditional rulers and youths in the state to be vigilant and report any suspicious move to the security agencies.