The Benue State Governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia has exonerated armed Fulani herdsmen of killings in the state saying Benue people killing themselves.
The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kulas, Thursday in a statement revealed this while responding to the comment by the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Akpabio while responding to the Motion by Senator Emmanuel Udende over the killing of over 50 persons in the Benue State, alluded that Governor Alia was not attending to the insecurity issues in the state as he was not being heard over the issue.
Reacting, the Governor said he was addressing insecurity in the state but stated that the killings in the state are by two rival militia groups and not Fulani herdsmen.
He accused Senator Udende of not telling the Senate the true story.
Parts of the statement read:
“Findings from both formal and informal sources have indicated that the recent attack on Gbagir, a settlement area in Ukum, was a militia clash. Two local militia gangs were fighting for supremacy, when another engaged the services of some militia herders to augment its strength to undo the other.
“Sen. Udende is not oblivious of this. He hails from this same area. He needs to explain to Nigerians why he decided to shield the militia men in his locality from this particular attack and would rather mislead the President of the senate and Nigerians to believe the attack was carried out by Fulani militia.”
