By TYAV SAM TYAV, Makurdi –
Worried by the influx of herdsmen to Benue State, Governor Hyacinth Alia has given two weeks ultimatum to herders to leave the state or comply with the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law.
Addressing journalists after the state security council meeting held Tuesday, at government house Makurdi, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Tersoo Kula, said the council was worried by the recent influx of cattle and wanted the herders to take note that the open grazing prohibition and ranches establishment law of the state is still in force.
The spokesman of the Governor informed that any herder that wants to keep his cattle in the state should ranch it in complying with the law.
As a deliberate measure to ensure compliance, the chief press secretary revealed that a seven member committee was constituted to ensure the enforcement of the ultimatum which begins on February 21st and advised the herders/ invaders to immediately leave the state and return to where they were coming from and warned those alleged to have invited them to desist from the act immediately.
According to Kula, security council also urged security agencies, traditional rulers and the general public to report for prosecution of any person or persons in the habit of collaborating and inviting the armed herders into the state and called on the good people of the state to remain calm and be security conscious.
The Aide, who said the security council lamented over the hardship and looming food insecurity across the nation, assured the people that the state government was making efforts to secure lives and property of Benue people and urged the people to remain calm as efforts are being put in place by the government to address the challenges.
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