From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, said President Bola Tinubu is working hard to fix the nation as his administration inherited an extremely bad situation especially insecurity.
Ribadu stated this yesterday, when he visited Benue State to commiserate with the government and people over the killing of over 72 people by terrorists masquerading as herdsmen.
The NSA, who condemned the killings, described it as a tragedy and evil that has visited the state and country at large.
He insisted that when such evil occurs, good people must come together to fight it.
He consoled the government and people of Benue state promising to stand by the state to defeat the common enemy.
Ribadu said:”We will defeat it. The entire country is with you. I commiserate with Benue People and assure you this is a trying period for all of us, we are 100 percent with you.
“We will confront it. Benue is an extremely important state to Nigeria. We must fight and maintain Benue as a peaceful state. The Governor is doing well and we will support him. It is unfortunate but it happens sometime.
“Our Armed Forces are doing well. It is impossible to post soldiers or police to every hamlets. Give us chance and stop politicizing the killings. This will help us to restore peace. Issue of security is relative.
“We inherited an extremely bad government and things have improved and we will address all these issues cropping up. It is a matter of time, to do the harm is easy but to solve it is difficult. We have reduced considerably the number of violence we met. This one too, we will confront it,” he said.
In his response, Benue State Governor,Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia said it was a sober moment for the state as it has come under intense siege with loss of lives of unimaginable figure since 2011.
He noted that killings from the terrorists, bandits and militia groups have destroyed the economy of the land saying,”these people do not have any reason to live with normal people. We are faced with series of loss of lives, farmlands and property. We have 17 IDPs camps in the state. It becomes difficult to get our IDPs back to their ancestral homes.
“Sankera is our headquarter of food. The attacks have been persistent and continuous. Instead of a good Friday, we have a black Friday with venomous attack on Katsina-Ala, Ukum and Logo.
“It is quite devastating. It is telling on us. 72 lives lost. It is a terrible moment for us. I have always established contact with the NSA. Our security agencies have worked assiduously to curtail the attacks. We need help like yesterday. The President have been very supportive and we hope that support will come.
“We have bought 100 Hilux vans and 60O motorcycles to support conventional security agencies. This is a carnage. Attack is more of onion layer, it is vicious. We ask that support should be upped. We will collaborate with the Federal Government to stop the killings.
“It is evident that what we are experiencing is a bare face attack as the attackers speak Fulani and Hausa. It is a troubling trend. It is a deliberate attempt, they disbalance the people, kill a good number of them and occupy.
“The attacks are not under reported. We are helpless. We do not have AK47. We are defenseless. We tell the people to be law abiding and the attackers take advantage of this. We are not in a Banana Republic”.
He asked the President to ensure that the killer herdsmen are chased away as they do not want to live with murderers.
The Tor Sankera, David Sevav, represented by a traditional ruler in Ukum, Iyorkyaa Kaave, said 11 more persons have been killed by herdsmen in Afia, Ukum LGA of the state.
He noted that as he spoke, the number was still counting as more dead bodies were being discovered in the bush.
He appealed to President Tinubu to bring the killer herdsmen to book for all the atrocities they are committing in the state.