Ortom asks Nigerian government to declare Fulani cattle rearing groups terrorists

The Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom has called on the Muhammadu Buhari-led Nigerian government to also designate some Fulani cattle rearing groups as terrorists.

The groups include Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), and Fulani Nationality Movement (FUNAM).

Ortom’s call is coming after the Nigerian government recently designated bandits as terrorists.

The Benue State governor, in a statement on Thursday, signed by his spokesperson, Nathaniel Ikyur, argued that labeling bandits as terrorists “is not enough.”

He said,  “Even though the federal government’s measures on bandits now seems strong, the security challenges will only be adequately addressed if similar hard position is taken on Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, MACBAN and the Fulani Nationality Movement (FUNAM) who have vowed and continued to cause mayhem in Benue State and other parts of the country because of the anti-grazing laws.

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“For us in Benue State, the law has come to stay. It is irrevocable. In fact, we have maintained our position that Benue State has no grazing routes, reserves, or areas so whatever. It was enacted in good faith for peace and order in the state. It was done among other things to end the incessant farmers/herdsmen clashes in the state.”

In the statement, Ortom equally challenged Buhari to do all it will take to revamp the ailing economy and save citizens from poverty.

“Nigerians have absorbed enough hunger and misery in the hands of the All Progressives Congress (APC) misrule. Or is it possible that Mr. President is not aware that Nigerians are dying from his misrule,” he asked.

Buhari had in a recent interview tagged the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as a failure. But Ortom disagreed with him and said:

“As a critical stakeholder of the PDP, this is completely false. If anyone has failed, it is the Buhari-led APC federal government that has failed by taking Nigeria from top to bottom.

“The PDP is ready to rescue Nigeria from the insecurity and economic horror placed on Nigerians by the APC.”

He stressed that the PDP remained “better prepared with laudable programmes on the welfare of Nigerians and to rebuild the nation from the APC tale of woes.”