Middle Belt Forum Calls for Probe of Killings in Middle Belt Region

Warns former Kano Emir against inflammatory remarks

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The Middle Belt Forum has  called on President Muhammadu Buhari to probe the killings of unarmed and defenceless citizens in various states of the Middle Belt region in the interest of justice and fair play.

The group also called on the federal government to investigate the recent alleged  killing of 37 herdsmen in Rukubi community of Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State on Wednesday, January 26, 2023, in order to ascertain the true state of affairs.

Thousands of people have been killed in the region by armed groups over the years.

Most of the killings were concentrated in Plateau and Benue States with the recent one in Nasarawa State.

The group, in a statement issued in Abuja, also called on the former Emir of  Kano, Lamido Sanusi Lamido, to exercise restraint in his unsubstantiated comments about the Nasarawa incident.

It also faulted allegations of involvement  of the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, in the Nasarawa incident.

The statement signed by its National President, Dr. Pogu Bitrus, called on President Buhari to probe killings in the states of the Middle Belt region in order ensure that justice is done to victims of violence.

“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to probe the killings of unarmed and defenceless citizens in various states of the Middle Belt Region in the interest of justice and fair play.

“For equity and justice to hold sway, Nigerian leaders must learn to treat all citizens across political, ethnic and religious divides. We must eschew enthroning the supremacy of one ethnic nationality over others if we ever hope to build a just nation for all,”  it said.

It explained  that  government should also investigate the Nasarawa Killings in order to ascertain what truly happened.

“The attention of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has been drawn to the alleged killing of no fewer than 37 herdsmen in Rukubi community of Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State on Wednesday, January 26, 2023.

‘Since the incident, there have been conflicting reports on what actually transpired. Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa declared on Thursday, January 26, that the herdsmen were killed through what looked like a drone attack. 

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) said since the military was the only authority to deploy drone attack, the federal government should wade into the matter   to bring the culprits to book.

“We are aware that the Nigerian Air Force undertook an operation against terrorist targets in areas bordering Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba in the same period. Also, there was no report of cattle casualties mentioned in any of the reports in spite of the claim that the victims are Fulani who just redeemed their cattle from the Benue State Government,” he said.

The statement said  amidst the confusion that  trailed the  killings, the deposed Emir of Kano, Mallam  Sanusi, recently added fuel to the raging inferno when he accused the Benue State Governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom, as the architect of the killings.

In what was seen as  reprisal attacks, it said, armed  herdsmen mounted attacks on Benue communities bordering Nasarawa, shortly after Governor Sule announced the killings without any shred of evidence to prove his claim.

“On Thursday last week, Governor Ortom informed Nigerians that there were premeditated plots by some highly-placed persons to assassinate him over the recent killings of herdsmen in Nasarawa State. He cautioned against inflammatory statements over security matters, stressing that Benue State is not involved in the alleged killings.

“As the umbrella body of ethnic nationalities in the Middle Belt, the Forum is at a loss why the Nasarawa governor would just allege such a grievous crime without any proof to buttress his claim. While the MBF is opposed to any form of extra-judicial killing, we are shocked at the statement by the Kano deposed emir attempting to rope Dr Ortom on an issue that he (Sanusi) is not competent to speak on,” it said.

“Since the introduction of the anti-grazing law in Benue, there has been no love lost between Governor Ortom and supporters of murderous herdsmen who have always seen the promulgation of the law as targeted against them. In the wake of the enactment of the law, MACBAN and other Fulani groups vowed to ensure the anti-grazing law remains ineffective.

“More worrisome, there have been sparks of violence among border communities between the two states that often culminated into destruction of lives and property. All these orchestrated violence are aimed at weakening the resolve and commitment of the Benue State Government to implement the anti-grazing law described by the herders as obnoxious,” it said.

The forum said the accusations against the governor was a ploy to rope him in.

“We find the inconsistent reports on the recent alleged killings of Nasarawa herdsmen as yet another ploy to rope Governor Ortom into a matter he is completely innocent of. For those who should know, deploying drone attacks is completely the responsibility of the Federal Government. There has been no shred of evidence to suggest that the Benue State Governor is involved in the alleged attack.

“We completely disagree with the deposed Kano emir, who is reputed to possess a penchant for inflammatory statements and even actions in the past. The MBF calls on him to exercise caution and desist from doing anything that is capable of undermining peaceful co-existence of Nigerians. He should allow the security agencies to do their jobs and stop fueling crises where there is none. It becomes contemptible when those who are expected to moderate their views before members of the public and promote the peaceful co-existence of communities are the same people inflaming passion in a bid to enthrone chaos and anarchy in the country”, it said.  

The Middle Belt Forum therefore, called on the federal government to set up an independent probe of the Nasarawa killings with photos and pictures of the slain herders and also their cattle as bombs don’t discriminate so as to ascertain the claims by the Nasarawa state governor and others alike.

“We also call on President Buhari to probe the killings of unarmed and defenceless citizens in various states of the Middle Belt Region in the interest of justice and fair play.

“For equity and justice to hold sway, Nigerian leaders must learn to treat all citizens across political, ethnic and religious divides. We must eschew enthroning the supremacy of one ethnic nationality over others if we ever hope to build a just nation for all.

“Governor Ortom’s traducers must desist henceforth from accusing him falsely on a matter he is not involved as he remains the leader of Benue State, who is not willing to let down his resolve in standing up for the democratic rights of his people in particular, and Nigerians in general”, it said.