Benue killings: ACF blames livestock guards, says Ortom government twisting narrative

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has blamed livestock guards in Benue for the killings in the state.

In a statement on Sunday, Emmanuel Yawe, spokesman of the forum, expressed concern over the loss of lives in the state and what it termed the “seeming attempts by the state government to twist the narrative for political reasons”.

The forum attributed the killings to the activities of the livestock guards set up by the state to enforce the ban on open grazing. It alleged that they rustle cattle under the pretext of enforcing the law.

The livestock guard, ACF said, rustled cattle without accounting for the cows when the owners showed up. The forum also accused security agencies of not giving accurate accounts of the situation in the state.

“ACF has received reports that many of the people killed in Gwer West were murdered as a result of the activities of one Emberga Utoo who (allegedly) led a band of livestock guards to rustle about 400 cattle and could not give a proper account when the owners showed up,” the statement reads.

“Others killed by the Fulani in reprisal for their cattle rustled by livestock guards are 3 in Tse Jibrin, 3 at Jimba Saqhew, 5 at back Imande Abuul and 10 at Zegejir.

“We at the ACF are worried about the rampant loss of lives in Benue and the seemingly desperate attempts by the state government to twist the narrative for political reasons and the security agencies who are not giving accurate accounts of the security situation in Benue for reasons that are difficult to see.”

Yawe said the most recent and gruesome of the attacks was last Thursday when about 40 were murdered and others dislodged from their homes at Shikaan village in Mbamena ward, Katsina-Ala LGA of the state.