Posted by Benue state’s governor, Hyacinth Alia, has declared that his government will not stop until the armed herdsmen who brutally murdered innocent people in the Wandoo town, Mbalom, in the Gwer East Local Government Area (LGA) of the state are punished.
As many as sixteen locals were killed and their houses, farms, and food storage barns set ablaze when armed ranchers allegedly stormed the area on Thursday night.
Tersoo Kula, the governor’s chief press secretary, released a statement in which he ordered the state’s security forces to immediately arrest the criminal herders who had carried out the attack.
We told these thugs to get out of the state as soon as possible. Additionally, we issued a 14-day ultimatum to everyone engaging in open grazing in the state, demanding compliance with the law or their immediate departure.
Time has passed since that ultimatum. The governor made it clear that he views the events at Wandoo as an effort to gauge the determination of his administration on a topic that has already been given top importance.
In addition to expressing his sorrow for the victims’ families, Alia reaffirmed his determination to have the state’s Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law (2017) enforced.
According to him, “the time is up and there is no going back on strict enforcement of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law (2017).” So, anyone sneaking into the state illegally should be aware of this.