Nasarawa Bombings: Nobody Has Claimed Responsibility, Says Gov Sule
Alex Enumah in Abuja and Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia
The Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, last night stated that nobody had claimed responsibility for the air attacks that resulted to the loss of lives in the state.
An air raid was reported to have occurred early hours of Wednesday wherein scores of lives were said to have been lost and many others sustained various levels of injuries.
Majority of the deceased were said to be Fulani herders who were said to be returning from neighbouring Benue State where they had gone to retrieve some of their cows seized for breaching the anti-grazing law in that state.
Speaking on the ARISE Channels News evening programme, the governor said contrary to earlier reports, the Air Force was not responsible for the attacks, adding that the bombings wwere carried out by a drone.
Responding to question whether any arrest has been made, governor Sule said: “It will be difficult to arrest anyone at the moment.”
“Rumour was that the Air Force carried out the bombings. Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom said he knows nothing including the security agencies, nobody has claimed responsibility “.
He added that Governor Ortom, in a telephone conversation with him, had assured him of the release of over 200 cows held in the state for violating the anti open grazing law.
The governor also noted that it would be difficult to give casualty figures as the earlier death toll of over 20 reported in the morning was less than the number of bodies brought later in the evening, adding that governor Ortom also reported of bodies taken to Makurdi, the Benue State capital for burial.
While noting that it is early to know if the event was a one-off or likely to reoccur, Governor Sule disclosed of plans to pursue a ranching system to prevent a situation where cows are arrested for straying into anti open grazing areas.
Governor Sule, had vowed to ensure that those behind the killing were apprehended and made to face the law.
The governor urged all Fulani people across the state to remain calm, saying that the state government was liasing with the Benue State Government to proffer a lasting solution to the incessant attacks on the people along the Nasarawa/Benue borders.
He added that security operatives have been deployed to curtail any further break down of law and order in the area.
Sule said: “On behalf of the state government, I want to sympathize with the Fulani people across the state over the killings of their people by an unknown bomber. I want to assure them of the state government’s commitment to unravel the perpetrators of such act so as to face the full wrath of the law.”
Speaking on the incident, the Chairman of Doma LGA, Ahmed Sarki-Usman, condemned the attack in its entirety.
According to the chairman, “it must be the activity of some bad elements in the area. The act is capable of causing unrest in the LGA, but I particularly want to thank the Fulani people for being calm and allowing the government and security agencies to handle the issue. I assure them that we will get to the root of the matter.”
The State Chairman of Miyetti Allah Kautal Horai, Ardo Lawal Dano, who spoke to THISDAY on the incident, expressed shock over the bombing that killed his kinsmen.
He appealed to the federal and state governments to come to their aid in order to arrest those involved in the act, calm the situation and restore normalcy in the area.
“The Fulani people are law-abiding citizens. We don’t like trouble, so let the government address the situation because we are really pained losing our loved ones,” Dano maintained.
