Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom
The Pan-Northern Nigerian socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum and the Christian Association of Nigeria has challenged security agencies to immediately fish out and arrest members of the Fulani Nationality Movement.
The groups told newsmen that security agencies should swing into action by the investigating threat by the hit squad.
They made the call as the police, Department of State Services and the Defence Headquarters kept mum over threats by FUNAM to attack individuals and states that were against open grazing of cattle in the country.
Recall that FUNAM on Sunday night said it carried out the attack on the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, who escaped assassination in his farm at Tyo-Mu community near Makurdi, the state capital, on Saturday.
The group, which attributed Ortom’s escape to a technical error, said the governor would not escape next time. It also threatened to attack individuals or states that opposed open grazing in the country.
The Fulani group, in its statement, stated, “We have our operatives in all southern states. Each will face our sword. We warn collaborators working against the Fulani across Nigeria: We shall get you irrespective of your hiding place.
“We state clearly, any state or individual that opposes RUGA will be confronted. Any state or individual that opposes ranching, we shall get you. Speak against ranching and RUGA even on the Internet: Our noiseless fighters shall find and fix you.”
The police, Defence Headquarters and the DSS failed to respond to inquiries on the threats made by the group when contacted by The PUNCH on Monday.
Several calls to the Force spokesman, Frank Mba, went unanswered. He had yet to respond to a text message as of the time of filing this report at 9pm on Monday.
Also, the DSS spokesman, Dr Peter Afunanya, did not respond to calls and SMS as of 9:06pm on Monday.
The Defence Headquarters did not respond to questions on what the armed forces were doing to prevent the alleged plot by FUNAM.
Calls to the DHQ spokesman, Brig. Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, rang out. He had yet to reply an SMS sent to him at 9.09pm.
But the National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Emmanuel Yawe, in a chat with one of our correspondents in Kaduna on Monday, said whoever claimed responsibility for that attack should be arrested with immediate effect.
The ACF spokesman said, “The people claiming responsibility should be arrested and the law allowed to take its course.”
Punch