Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has given reason why he believes that President Muhammadu Buhari was “complicit” in the clashes between herders and farming communities in the state.
Mr Ortom spoke when he appeared as a guest on Arise TV’s The Morning Show on Wednesday.
Like in other parts of Nigeria, herders and farmers have been in a prolonged conflict in Benue, with frequent attacks and killings of people.
Speaking during the TV programme, Mr Ortom insisted that Mr Buhari has been complicit in the clashes between the herders and farmers in the state.
The governor said he floated Community Volunteer Guards, a vigilante group, to assist the conventional security agencies in checking herders’ attacks in the state, but claimed that Mr Buhari declined the state government’s request for permission to provide automatic weapons to the vigilante group.
“It is unfortunate that the federal government seems to be complicit in the manner the herdsmen are killing our people. I had interfaced with the federal authorities, Mr President, I have sat with him and I brought these things before him.
“The truth is that when you allow the Fulani herdsmen to carry AK-47 (rifles) and then allow the local people and even the Community Volunteer Guards to carry pump action rifles, (they cannot confront the herdsmen),” he said, adding that the highest weapon used by guards is pump action rifle.
“But you know that one hundred Community Volunteer Guards with pump action (rifles) cannot confront two Fulani herdsmen with AK-47 (rifles). These are automatic weapons.
“And that was what led my state Executive Council to apply to the president and the federal government to also permit us to at least allow the Community Volunteer Guards to be armed with automatic weapons so that they can truly confront these herdsmen,” Mr Ortom said.
The governor said “herder’ attacks” in the state would have ended if the president and the federal government had granted his request.
“When we applied, we were told that those weapons are prohibited for citizens to carry. So, they cannot allow us to carry them. And the challenge I have with the federal government’s response to my request for automatic weapons for the guards is why are they allowing Fulani herdsmen to carry these (AK-47) weapons?” he said.
“Where have they arrested these Fulani herdsmen and taken them to court and prosecuted them and dealt with them (for carrying AK-47).”
He urged the federal government to quickly tackle “herders’ attacks”, which he noted, are being witnessed across the country mainly in the North-central states.
‘Buhari has taken us from top to bottom, but I’ve forgiven him’
Mr Ortom said, as a Christian, he had forgiven Mr Buhari for his failings as president and that he expects the incoming administration of Bola Tinubu to provide security for Nigerians so that the country can return to its days of glory.
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“For me, as a born-again Christian, I have forgiven President Muhammadu Buhari. He has taken us from top to bottom, but that does not mean we should continue to hold it on him,” he said.
