Map of Benue State in Nigeria's North Central region
By SAA AONDO, Makurdi –
Residents of Ado Local Government Area in Benue State now live in perpetual fear following the threat of attacks by suspected herdsmen.
Chairman of the local government, Honourable James Oche disclosed this to members of the Independent Print Media Publishers’ Association of (IPPAN) today during the media practitioners’ visit to the Ado LGA in continuation of their assessment tour of local governments in the State.
“We received a message from herdsmen sent to the Ado Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke that they are coming to attack us,” he told the delegation.
Oche disclosed that the Ado LGA has come under ferocious attacks from herdsmen especially in the last two months and is grappling to cope with about seven thousand internally displaced people in the local government.
“The situation is grossly precarious and we live under constant fear,” he said.
He, further, disclosed that over the past few months, the Ado LGA has lost more than 200 persons to herdsmen attacks as well while more than one hundred and fifty people are currently in various hospitals across the State.
The Chairman explained that “it is in the light of these delopments that his administration is fully in support of Governor Samuel Ortom’s zero tolerance policy for open grazing and vowed that the local government would go extra mile to implement the law.”
He also said that the local government has completed plans to put in place necessary legislation to enforce the ban on open grazing.
He said that when the law comes into effect, it would be an offence for any herder to be found openly grazing his livestock within the boundaries of the local government, adding that offenders would be arrested and prosecuted.
The chairman, further, disclosed that anyone found to have patronized any cattle dealer outside a ranch would be similarly prosecuted alongside the seller.