Inciting Speech: Ortom demands arrest of Miyetti Allah herders officials

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has restated his demand for the arrest of officials of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore over an alleged inciting statement capable of disrupting peace in the state. Ortom in Makurdi yesterday observed that the latest statements credited to the leaders of the herders group in national dailies and other media […]

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has restated his demand for the arrest of officials of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore over an alleged inciting statement capable of disrupting peace in the state.

Ortom in Makurdi yesterday observed that the latest statements credited to the leaders of the herders group in national dailies and other media platforms was an open declaration of war on the people of Benue.

"We wish to reiterate our call for their arrest. It is not the first time that National President of the group, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello Bodejo and its National Secretary, Saleh Alhassan have made inflammatory statements against the implementation of the anti-open grazing law of Benue State.

"Since the law came into being, the said officials of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore have embarked on legal action as well as all other forms of threats and smear campaign against Governor Samuel Ortom in a desperate bid to scuttle the implementation of the law which will commence on November 1 this year," the governor said.

In the statement signed by the Ortom’s Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase and made available to Daily Trust, the governor drew the attention of security agencies to the repeated threats and inciting statements by the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore and therefore demanded for the arrest of its officials to prevent them from breaching the existing peace in the state.

He added that the call by the group that herders should converge on Benue in November clearly reveals their ulterior motive to invade the agrarian state and cause greater pain on innocent people, stressing that security agencies need no further proof to effect the arrest than the group’s public declaration of war against the people of the state.

"No individual or group is above the law of the land. The anti-open grazing law initiated by the Benue state government has been hailed by both local and international peace stakeholders as the best solution to the frequent crisis between herdsmen and farmers. We wish to make it abundantly clear to Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore that the Benue State Open Grazing Prohibition and Establishment of Ranches Law has come to stay and no amount of intimidation or name calling can stop its implementation," Ortom maintained.