The chairman of Markurdi branch of the NBA, Mr.E.Z. Agbakor Esq
has released a statement on the recent killing in some parts of the
country, allegedly attributed to
Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.
Voicing his frustration on the supposed lackadaisical attitude
of the president over the killing, the chairman is demanding the
immediate resignation of the Minister of defence and Inspector
General of Police.
Below is his statement:
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Makurdi Branch notes with
disgust that since the time of the open threats by Miyetti Allah
Kautal Hore to unleash mayhem on Benue State to overrun the State
and take over the Benue Valley, there is a single line of
reasoning, expressions and actions by the President and
Commander-in-Chief, Federal Republic of Nigeria and his security
operatives.
First, the President and his Security Operatives refused or
failed to be proactive towards averting the carefully planned
attacks and killings despite copious reports made to them by the
Governor of Benue State. The killings were carried out unhitched
and the unprotected Benue populace were gruesomely wiped out in
large numbers.
Second, after the January 1, 2018 attacks, Miyetti Allah Kautal
Hore owned up to the killings and pledged that the killings would
continue until blocked grazing routes would be reopened and the
Benue State Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law,
2017 was repealed or anyhow its implementation jettisoned. Gain,
the Governor of Benue State made reports and called on the Police
to arrest, investigate and prosecute the leadership of Miyetti
Allah Kautal Hore but the Police have failed to discharge their
constitutional responsibility in this regard.
Third, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), after holding a
meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari described the killings of
the Benue People by Fulani herdsmen as mere communal clash before
sending unarmed Policemen to stop the killings, being perpetrated
by herdsmen using sophisticated weapons.
Fourth, the President, after refusing or failing to visit and
commiserate with the People of Benue State simplified the killings
by calling on the Benue People to live in peace with their fellow
countrymen.
Fifth, the Minister of Defence insinuated that the killings were
as a result of blocked grazing routes and the only way out for the
Fulani herdsmen was to carry out their nefarious mindless
killings.
Sixth, the IGP fabricated an unfounded and unprofessional biased
report against the Governor, Government and People of Benue State,
claiming that the killings were as a result of the implementation
of the Benue State Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches
Establishment Law, 2017, forgetting that Benue had been attacked
more than 47 times from 2013 to 2017 prior to enactment of the Law
and there were killings of Tiv people in Nasarawa State, where
there is no anti-open grazing Law and in Taraba State. The Force
Public Relations Officer (FPRO) has described Governor Samuel Ortom
as “a drowning man”.
The report of the Inspector General of Police over the killings
in the State has betrayed the confidence reposed in the Police by
the common man of the society. He has made himself unfit to steer
the affairs of the Police in Nigeria. He has clearly constituted
himself into a security threat instead of an epitome of
security.
We would like the whole world to know that if the killings in
Benue State persist or should anything happen to Governor Samuel
Ortom, the IGP should be held responsible. We recall with
excruciating pains that we live in a country where a serving
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief
Bola Ige, SAN was assassinated with no traces. Recently, a serving
Member of the Taraba State House of Assembly was allegedly
kidnapped and subsequently found dead and the Residence of the
Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was
attacked, leaving casualties. Threats from high quarters must
therefore not be taken for granted.
We do hereby call on the Minister of Defence and the IGP to
honourably and respectfully resign their appointments forthwith.
Their conducts smack unprofessionalism. The conducts constitute a
breach of their oath of office and allegiance. In alternative, we
urge President Buhari to sack them peremptorily and replace them
with professional and patriotic Nigerians as a way of reassuring
Nigerians of their security.
We want to discountenance the claims of the IGP that the
position of stakeholders from Nasarawa State negates the claims of
stakeholders and government of Benue State on the immediate and
remote causes of the killings in Benue State. The IGP did not
convene a joint stakeholders meeting of Benue and Nasarawa States
before drawing his lopsided conclusions.
Stakeholders of Nasarawa State are not in a position to make or
approve laws for Benue State. The position of the IGP is
provocative, insensitive, unpatriotic and capable of causing
disaffection among Nigerians.
We also make bold to fault the strategies employed by the IGP in
ascertaining the authenticity of the alleged claims of Governor
Ortom that there exists armed militia camping in Tungwa, Awe Local
Government Area of Nasarawa State, which he (IGP) dismissed as
untrue. In dismissing the claims, the IGP relied on sentimental
views of those he mentioned without giving Governor Ortom fair
hearing. However, the IGP contradicted himself when he reported
that some armed herdsmen were arrested in Awe Local Government of
Nasarawa State.
It could be recalled that upon assumption of office in 2015,
Governor Samuel Ortom through his amnesty program had disarmed
youth in possession of all manner of arms. This also negates the
allegation that the government has recruited untrained personnel
and armed them with prohibited arms to operate as Livestock
Guards.
Seventh, the Nigeria Army arrested Nine (9) Livestock Guards,
who were performing their statutory duties under the Benue State
Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law, 2017 and
firmly directed their incarceration with the State Security
Service, Enugu State Command in perpetuity, without investigation,
without an Order of Court.
Eighth, after more than 73 People were killed in Benue State, 73
Cows were allegedly killed in Nasarawa State. The President chose
to visit Nasarawa State to commiserate with the Governor and people
over the killings in Nasarawa and commission development projects.
To date, the President has not paid an empathy visit to Benue
State.
The foregoing line of reasoning, expressions and actions point
to the fact that the Benue killings are a carefully architected
conspiracy against the People of the State.
The coming of Operation Cat Race is salutary. The mandate of the
military is however worrisome. They are to embark on “cordon and
search”, which is to surround an area with the objective of
restricting movement and searching thoroughly; to mount “road
blocks”; and display “show of force”. All these are to be carried
out in the homes; they do not include search on the farmlands which
have been forcefully taken over from their owners and occupied by
the Fulani herdsmen. There is no element of the operations to chase
out the Fulani herdsmen from Benue farms and homes. The herdsmen
are, as usual, on the farmlands with sophisticated weapons. The
heavy presence of Internally displaced Persons (IDPs) in the camps
is glaring testimony that the homes are not safe. We do hope the
exercise will make the homes safe for the IDPs to go back to their
various homes.
We also note that the Operation Cat Race is to be carried out
within a specified time frame. This approach gives our marauders
notice to carry out their activities before and after the
operation.
In view of the foregoing, we are gladly wary that the Federal
Government has announced plans to deploy a special Military Unit,
Operation Cat Race, to affected parts of the Country, including
Benue State.
The Military are coming to enforce order and peace in a
democratic society. We expect that they will enforce law to achieve
the much desired and sought peace. They will therefore insist on
compliance with extant laws, including the Benue State Open Grazing
Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law, 2017.
NBA Makurdi Branch, and I suppose the whole world, expect and in
fact hope that the Military will flush out the Fulanis who have
forcefully taken over and occupied some homes and farmlands
belonging to Benue rural people and ensure that the owners
repossess their lands in peace.
We expect that the Military will be fair to the Benue People and
not toe the line of earlier thoughts, expressions and actions of
the President, Minister of Defence, IGP and FPRO.
Benue looks forward to regaining our much cherished peace as we
look forward to a united and peaceful Nigeria.
We call on Operation Cat Race to observe operational rules
throughout the operation, including non-harassment, non-torture,
and non-looting of the inhabitants of the communities. In the same
vein, we entreat the National Human Rights Commission, Amnesty
International, Human Rights Watch as well as International Red
Cross Society to be on ground to observe the activities first
hand.
We commend our traditional institution for a well deserved firm
resoluteness to guard over our land against these killings.
NBA Makurdi commends Benue Representatives at the National
Assembly for rising up the occasion and urges them to sustain the
tempo until peace returns to the State. In the same vein, we
commend the oneness exhibited by Benue People irrespective of party
and other differences and implore them to so remain.
We call on Benue People to remain calm, law abiding and vigilant
in the wake of these perilous times. All Benue inhabitants must
cooperate with the Army in ensuring the return of peace and order
in our ravaged communities.
NBA Makurdi reassures His Excellency, Governor Ortom of our
unflinching support and urges him to remain firm in the discharge
of his duties as Governor in general and towards the full
implementation of the Benue State Open Grazing Prohibition and
Ranches Establishment Law, 2017.
We pray God to strengthen us and grant us victory over our foes in
Jesus’ name.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria;
Long live Benue State;
Long Live the Benue State Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches
Establishment Law, 2017.
E.Z. Agbakor, Esq.
Chairman,
Nigerian Bar Association,
Makurdi Branch
The chairman of Markurdi branch of the NBA, Mr.E.Z. Agbakor Esq
has released a statement on the recent killing in some parts of the
country, allegedly attributed to
Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.
Voicing his frustration on the supposed lackadaisical attitude
of the president over the killing, the chairman is demanding the
immediate resignation of the Minister of defence and Inspector
General of Police.
Below is his statement:
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Makurdi Branch notes with
disgust that since the time of the open threats by Miyetti Allah
Kautal Hore to unleash mayhem on Benue State to overrun the State
and take over the Benue Valley, there is a single line of
reasoning, expressions and actions by the President and
Commander-in-Chief, Federal Republic of Nigeria and his security
operatives.
First, the President and his Security Operatives refused or
failed to be proactive towards averting the carefully planned
attacks and killings despite copious reports made to them by the
Governor of Benue State. The killings were carried out unhitched
and the unprotected Benue populace were gruesomely wiped out in
large numbers.
Second, after the January 1, 2018 attacks, Miyetti Allah Kautal
Hore owned up to the killings and pledged that the killings would
continue until blocked grazing routes would be reopened and the
Benue State Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law,
2017 was repealed or anyhow its implementation jettisoned. Gain,
the Governor of Benue State made reports and called on the Police
to arrest, investigate and prosecute the leadership of Miyetti
Allah Kautal Hore but the Police have failed to discharge their
constitutional responsibility in this regard.
Third, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), after holding a
meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari described the killings of
the Benue People by Fulani herdsmen as mere communal clash before
sending unarmed Policemen to stop the killings, being perpetrated
by herdsmen using sophisticated weapons.
Fourth, the President, after refusing or failing to visit and
commiserate with the People of Benue State simplified the killings
by calling on the Benue People to live in peace with their fellow
countrymen.
Fifth, the Minister of Defence insinuated that the killings were
as a result of blocked grazing routes and the only way out for the
Fulani herdsmen was to carry out their nefarious mindless
killings.
Sixth, the IGP fabricated an unfounded and unprofessional biased
report against the Governor, Government and People of Benue State,
claiming that the killings were as a result of the implementation
of the Benue State Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches
Establishment Law, 2017, forgetting that Benue had been attacked
more than 47 times from 2013 to 2017 prior to enactment of the Law
and there were killings of Tiv people in Nasarawa State, where
there is no anti-open grazing Law and in Taraba State. The Force
Public Relations Officer (FPRO) has described Governor Samuel Ortom
as “a drowning man”.
The report of the Inspector General of Police over the killings
in the State has betrayed the confidence reposed in the Police by
the common man of the society. He has made himself unfit to steer
the affairs of the Police in Nigeria. He has clearly constituted
himself into a security threat instead of an epitome of
security.
We would like the whole world to know that if the killings in
Benue State persist or should anything happen to Governor Samuel
Ortom, the IGP should be held responsible. We recall with
excruciating pains that we live in a country where a serving
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief
Bola Ige, SAN was assassinated with no traces. Recently, a serving
Member of the Taraba State House of Assembly was allegedly
kidnapped and subsequently found dead and the Residence of the
Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was
attacked, leaving casualties. Threats from high quarters must
therefore not be taken for granted.
We do hereby call on the Minister of Defence and the IGP to
honourably and respectfully resign their appointments forthwith.
Their conducts smack unprofessionalism. The conducts constitute a
breach of their oath of office and allegiance. In alternative, we
urge President Buhari to sack them peremptorily and replace them
with professional and patriotic Nigerians as a way of reassuring
Nigerians of their security.
We want to discountenance the claims of the IGP that the
position of stakeholders from Nasarawa State negates the claims of
stakeholders and government of Benue State on the immediate and
remote causes of the killings in Benue State. The IGP did not
convene a joint stakeholders meeting of Benue and Nasarawa States
before drawing his lopsided conclusions.
Stakeholders of Nasarawa State are not in a position to make or
approve laws for Benue State. The position of the IGP is
provocative, insensitive, unpatriotic and capable of causing
disaffection among Nigerians.
We also make bold to fault the strategies employed by the IGP in
ascertaining the authenticity of the alleged claims of Governor
Ortom that there exists armed militia camping in Tungwa, Awe Local
Government Area of Nasarawa State, which he (IGP) dismissed as
untrue. In dismissing the claims, the IGP relied on sentimental
views of those he mentioned without giving Governor Ortom fair
hearing. However, the IGP contradicted himself when he reported
that some armed herdsmen were arrested in Awe Local Government of
Nasarawa State.
It could be recalled that upon assumption of office in 2015,
Governor Samuel Ortom through his amnesty program had disarmed
youth in possession of all manner of arms. This also negates the
allegation that the government has recruited untrained personnel
and armed them with prohibited arms to operate as Livestock
Guards.
Seventh, the Nigeria Army arrested Nine (9) Livestock Guards,
who were performing their statutory duties under the Benue State
Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law, 2017 and
firmly directed their incarceration with the State Security
Service, Enugu State Command in perpetuity, without investigation,
without an Order of Court.
Eighth, after more than 73 People were killed in Benue State, 73
Cows were allegedly killed in Nasarawa State. The President chose
to visit Nasarawa State to commiserate with the Governor and people
over the killings in Nasarawa and commission development projects.
To date, the President has not paid an empathy visit to Benue
State.
The foregoing line of reasoning, expressions and actions point
to the fact that the Benue killings are a carefully architected
conspiracy against the People of the State.
The coming of Operation Cat Race is salutary. The mandate of the
military is however worrisome. They are to embark on “cordon and
search”, which is to surround an area with the objective of
restricting movement and searching thoroughly; to mount “road
blocks”; and display “show of force”. All these are to be carried
out in the homes; they do not include search on the farmlands which
have been forcefully taken over from their owners and occupied by
the Fulani herdsmen. There is no element of the operations to chase
out the Fulani herdsmen from Benue farms and homes. The herdsmen
are, as usual, on the farmlands with sophisticated weapons. The
heavy presence of Internally displaced Persons (IDPs) in the camps
is glaring testimony that the homes are not safe. We do hope the
exercise will make the homes safe for the IDPs to go back to their
various homes.
We also note that the Operation Cat Race is to be carried out
within a specified time frame. This approach gives our marauders
notice to carry out their activities before and after the
operation.
In view of the foregoing, we are gladly wary that the Federal
Government has announced plans to deploy a special Military Unit,
Operation Cat Race, to affected parts of the Country, including
Benue State.
The Military are coming to enforce order and peace in a
democratic society. We expect that they will enforce law to achieve
the much desired and sought peace. They will therefore insist on
compliance with extant laws, including the Benue State Open Grazing
Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law, 2017.
NBA Makurdi Branch, and I suppose the whole world, expect and in
fact hope that the Military will flush out the Fulanis who have
forcefully taken over and occupied some homes and farmlands
belonging to Benue rural people and ensure that the owners
repossess their lands in peace.
We expect that the Military will be fair to the Benue People and
not toe the line of earlier thoughts, expressions and actions of
the President, Minister of Defence, IGP and FPRO.
Benue looks forward to regaining our much cherished peace as we
look forward to a united and peaceful Nigeria.
We call on Operation Cat Race to observe operational rules
throughout the operation, including non-harassment, non-torture,
and non-looting of the inhabitants of the communities. In the same
vein, we entreat the National Human Rights Commission, Amnesty
International, Human Rights Watch as well as International Red
Cross Society to be on ground to observe the activities first
hand.
We commend our traditional institution for a well deserved firm
resoluteness to guard over our land against these killings.
NBA Makurdi commends Benue Representatives at the National
Assembly for rising up the occasion and urges them to sustain the
tempo until peace returns to the State. In the same vein, we
commend the oneness exhibited by Benue People irrespective of party
and other differences and implore them to so remain.
We call on Benue People to remain calm, law abiding and vigilant
in the wake of these perilous times. All Benue inhabitants must
cooperate with the Army in ensuring the return of peace and order
in our ravaged communities.
NBA Makurdi reassures His Excellency, Governor Ortom of our
unflinching support and urges him to remain firm in the discharge
of his duties as Governor in general and towards the full
implementation of the Benue State Open Grazing Prohibition and
Ranches Establishment Law, 2017.
We pray God to strengthen us and grant us victory over our foes in
Jesus’ name.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria;
Long live Benue State;
Long Live the Benue State Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches
Establishment Law, 2017.
E.Z. Agbakor, Esq.
Chairman,
Nigerian Bar Association,
Makurdi Branch