The Benue State Government and the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria in the state are reportedly on the verge of reaching a truce.
A peace meeting was held on Thursday, where both parties discussed strategies aimed at restoring harmony in Benue communities.
The meeting was at the instance of the state which has members of Miyetti Allah from the state on one side and the 23 local government chairmen, traditional rulers, and security advisers to the governor on the other side.
Speaking during the meeting, Special Adviser on Security and Internal Affairs, Joseph Har insisted that the law prohibiting open grazing was still in operation in the state and must be obeyed.
Har emphasised the need to have a peace committee between the farmers and herders for strict enforcement of the law while urging the herdsmen to ask the invaders to leave.
“As you go back tell your people not to react but be peaceful. We do not want to expose our people to any menace but advise them to remain calm.
“The large influx of cattle into the State is worrisome and disturbing. If you are doing business and someone comes to infringe on it, you will not be happy.
“Tell them to leave or it will be assumed that you(internal herders) invited them, we will not tolerate anyone infringing on our rights.
“The governor’s silence should not be mistaken for weakness,” the SA said.
He added that cattle rearing is a lucrative business and as such, all those who engage in it irrespective of tribes, must practice ranching.
Earlier, some of the local government chairmen who attended the meeting separately narrated the agonies and pains their people were passing through at the hands of cattle rearers
However, the State ALGON chairman, Philip Achuah assured that no local government will attack herders and urged his colleagues to liaise with Fulani herders’ leadership in their domain to ensure peace even as he appealed to the herders to talk to the external Fulanis to vacate the state.
In his response, the Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders in the state, Ardo Mohammed called for sincerity of purpose by all stakeholders as it concerns ranching.
Mohammed frowned at the insistence on the herders to ranch while others adamantly refused to ranch.
He said, “Let us be sincere not to bring back the past. We should be sincere about ranching. Why should non-Fulani who have cattle not ranch their cattle?
“As a leader, I do not know all the locations, no stranger can overtake the host. We will collaborate with the government to chase away external herder invaders.”
On the day before the peace meeting, bandits reportedly killed four people at Ikobi in the Apa Local Government Area of Benue State in a renewed attack.
The incident, according to a community leader, Atule Amodu, happened on Wednesday night.