Declare killer herdsmen terrorists, Ortom tells FG


Benue State Governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare armed herdsmen, who are killing innocent people in communities, as terrorists. 
 

Ortom has been crying out against repeated herdsmen’s attacks on different communities in the last couple of months.
 The latest of such attacks took place Friday night at Tse-Chembe community, near Anyiin in Logo Local Council, where herders murdered seven persons and left many others injured.
 

The Guardian learnt that on Friday, July 10, 2020 at about 7:40p.m., suspected herdsmen militia allegedly combined with Jukun militia, attacked Chembe village in Ukemberegya/Tswarev ward of Gaambe-Tiev, Logo Local Council and opened fire on the innocent villagers. 
 

Seven persons, including one woman died, while 12 persons, including a nine-year-old boy are receiving treatment at NKST hospital Anyiin and Local Government Comprehensive Clinic, Iorza. 
 While condemning the killings, Ortom described the situation as unacceptable. 


He said: “Benue State has a law, which prohibits open grazing of livestock. As such, only a terrorist group would deliberately choose to violate the legislation, as these herdsmen have done, since the law was enacted in 2017.’’

He said declaring armed herders operating in Benue State as terrorists, would end the wave of impunity and guarantee the rule of law. 
He enjoined those living in the affected areas to report any suspicious persons to security agencies and praised officers and men of Operation Whirl Stroke for their prompt responses to distress calls, particularly that of yesterday when the people of Tse-Chembe came under attacks.
  

‘’’No amount of threats and attacks will stop the enforcement of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of the State,’’
 he warned.
Meanwhile, Logo Local Council Council Chairman, Isaac Terseer Agber, yesterday, visited NKST Hospital Anyiin to evacuate those with complicated gun shot cases to a tertiary health facility for better medical attention.