Coalition of Southern and Middle Belt Youth Leaders Assembly, COSMBYLA, has alleged that the Benue State All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate, Rev Fr. Hyacinth Alia has entered in to an agreement with leaders of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore for sponsorship ahead of the 2023 governorship election.
COSMBYLA expresses displeasure over Alia’s romance with the Fulani social cultural group, which has claimed responsibility for attacks in Benue State.
In a statement signed by leader of COSMBYLA, Hon. Goodluck Ibem and zonal coordinators of Middle Belt, South West and South South, Terrence Kuanum, Shittu Waheed, and Tito Zokumor described Alia as desperate in his governorship ambition.
The coalition group further urged Benue people to vote for the right person who will protect their lives and ancestral land.
The statement reads: “The Coalition of Southern and Middle Belt Youth Leaders Assembly, COSMBYLA, the umbrella body of all the youth groups in South West, South East, South South and Middle Belt region have alleged of a plot by the Fulani to use the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate, the suspended Catholic Priest, Hyacinth Alia to enthrone a Fulani Caliphate in Benue State. The plot is to ensure that indigenes will be systematically eliminated and their ancestral lands taken over by Fulani for cattle and animal grazing.
“It is very unfortunate that an indigene of the state the APC governorship candidate Hyacinth will be in a deep romance with and eating with such people on the same table with those who are bent on dispossessing Benue indigenes of their God-given rights on daily basis.
“Unknown to many, the suspended Catholic Priest is ready to sell out Benue people for his own personal gains.
“It is common knowledge that the Catholic Church is a very respectable organisation that trains its Priests in the most decent way to speak for and stand for the less privileged in the society. Catholic Priests are never known to be working against people. It is therefore surprising how someone who once served in that position now sleeps and thinks otherwise. No wonder, he was suspended by the Bishop of his diocese.
“No wonder, there has been several attempts to assassinate the Executive Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom in Benue State because he blatantly refused to hand over Benue lands to the Fulani for cattle grazing hence the daily killings to take over Benue by force. This is one of the reasons why the Governor has consistently resisted every move by the Fulani and their agents which is coming at a very high cost to his own life.
“Benue people should not be deceived by any colourful packaging of the APC governorship candidate in the State. The Fulani have seen Hyacinth Alia as a weak and feeble tool who has no will of his own that will surrender all Benue lands to the Fulani for cattle grazing while also keeping mute when his people are being killed on daily basis.
“The Fulani have fixed their eyes on Benue lands to take it from the original owners by force and the APC governorship candidate is their surest root to actualising their evil plot.
“Benue people should be aware that the Fulani are not asleep or reneging in their quest to take Benue lands and there are using different means to achieve this evil agenda which is why Benue people must open their eyes very wide to make the right choice come 2023.
“Though we are not partisan in all sense of the word, but it will be a great injustice against the people, if we fail to bring to their notice such evil plot against the people using a known face.
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“This information which we bring to the knowledge of Benue people is not a propaganda, but a painstaking investigation done by the youths. We cannot allow our people to be deceived the second time.
“Nigerians wake up daily to gory reports of killings by Fulani terrorists and Jihadists who parade themselves as herdsmen. These terrorists have also turned kidnapping as a high yielding economic source for their illegal acts. They have also elevated banditry and other social and economic life difficult for Nigerians.
“We have continued to warn Nigerians at that time to beware of the APC product they are marketing and buying. Now, the nose is also crying with the eyes. What a tragedy!
“As youths from among the minority tribes, it is our resolve to come together with our fellow Benue youths and make Benue great. We have resolved to engage everyone who loves Benue to join hands to sustain the legacy of freedom being handed over to us by Governor Samuel Ortom. We stand in unity with our comrades in Benue and resist the plot to impose on the State, a governor who will be answerable to the Fulani and their conquest and dominating agenda.”
