Why Ortom and Ishaku are to blame for Benue killings - Wamakko

Benue killings

Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko (APC, Sokoto Central) said in Abuja on Sunday, January 14, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state and his Taraba state counterpart Darius Ishaku should be held responsible for the recent killings in the states.
Daily Trust reports that Wamakko blamed Ortom Ishaku because of their short sighted, unfair and illegal passing of anti-open grazing laws which is said to expel some Nigerian citizens from their states.

He said the two governors went for a measure that is selfish and political and which has now backfired by igniting more crises and killings. 

The Senator explained further that the clashes between farmers and pastoralists have existed for many decades but are worsening in recent years due to population pressure. 

He noted that the governors could lessen the crises by being fair to all since every Nigerian is allowed by the constitution to live in any part of the country and pursue his legitimate means of livelihood. 

According to him, measures such as the anti-open grazing law adopted by Ortom and Ishaku aggravate the problem because it encourages some people to take the law into their own hands and try to drive the pastoralists out of their states. 

He, however, called on a national stakeholders’ summit to seek a nation-wide solution to the problem. He said unless the federal government takes the lead and works out a solution, some unscrupulous state governors will continue to play politics with the issue and promote self-serving solutions for their electoral benefit while people continue to get killed. 

Meanwhile, NTT had reported that the Plateau state governor, Solomon Lalong apologized for his comments on the killings by suspected herdsmen in Benue state. Lalong said his comments after visiting President Buhari at the Presidential Villa on Thursday, January 11, were misinterpreted.