House of Reps probes police for allegedly failing to enforce Benue state anti-grazing law

macfranc007 March 09, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Kess Ewubare

- Member of the House of Representatives, Hassan Saleh, alleges that suspected herdsmen killed no fewer than 26 persons in Benue on Monday, March 5

- He states that many of the perpetrators of the heinous crimes have not been arrested and prosecuted by the police

- Afenifere urges Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state to convoke security summit in the state

The House of Representatives on Thursday, March 8, mandated its committee on legislative compliance to investigate refusal of the police and other security agencies to enforce Benue’s anti-grazing law.

The was sequel to a motion under Matter of Urgent National Importance by Hassan Saleh on urgent call on federal government to ensure enforcement of open grazing prohibition and ranching law in Benue.

Moving the motion, Saleh explained that on Monday, March 5, 2018, no fewer than 26 persons were killed by suspected herdsmen, The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

He said: "When the heavily armed herdsmen stormed the village, some of them started burning down houses while others were shooting sporadically and also butchered many of the villagers”.

“In spite of the widespread condemnation of the killings going on in Benue, many of the perpetrators of the heinous crimes have not been arrested and prosecuted by the Police.

“This has led to the continuation of the killings in the state.”

The lawmaker states that: "The herdsmen and their socio-cultural organization known as Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association have vowed to continue killing citizens of Benue until the state’s Anti-Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranching Law is reversed.”

He emphasised that Benue as a unit of the federation was empowered by the 1999 Constitution to enact laws that would promote peace, unity and prosperity among its citizens.

He explained that everyone residing or doing business in the state was under obligation to obey such laws.

According to Saleh, there is need for the federal government to reiterate the call on the inspector-general of police and other security agencies to take all necessary measures.

“The measure is to enforce the Benue Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranching Law in order to ensure that peace is fully restored to the state.”

The motion was adopted unanimously through a voice vote by members. The committee on legislative compliance was, therefore, mandated to look into the matter and to submit report within six weeks.

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The House also urged the inspector-general of police and all security agencies in Benue to arrest the perpetrators of the gruesome killings going on in the state.

Meanwhile, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Thursday, March 8, called on the Ondo state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, to find a lasting solution to the incessant attacks on farmers by suspected herdsmen in the state.

The Punch reports that the association also urged the governor to emulate the Ekiti state Governor Ayodele Fayose, by organising a security summit which should involve all the leaders of Miyetti Allah in the state and the country at large, farmers, representatives of the government, security agencies and other stakeholders.

NAIJ.com gathered that the group made the call at a meeting held at the residence of the leader of the association, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, in Akure, the Ondo state capital.

The secretary general of the association, Seinde Arogbofa, who read the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, said there was a need for Akeredolu to call all the concerned groups for a peace meeting to design a lasting solution to the crisis.

Victims of Herdsmen killing buried in Benue State on NAIJ.com TV