Benue State Governor Rev. Fr Hyacinth Alia says the anti-open grazing law put in place by the previous administration has come to stay.
The Benue State Security Council arrived at this decision after a painstaking deliberations in its meeting, which was held at the Government House, Makurdi, and chaired by the governor, Revd Fr Hycinth Alia, on Thursday.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sir Tersoo Kula, said a Sub-Committee of the Commissioner of Police, the Director of State Security Services, the Traditional Rulers, NAPTITP, Immigration, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs (BLGCA), and Office of the Security Adviser to head the team, was set up to identify the heads of the Fulani Herders and report back to the Security Council within three weeks.
According to Sir Kula, the Council decided that no single approach should be adopted, but two or more, such as
Dialogue approach and Stakeholders in the various sectors to ensure enforcement of the Anti Open grazing Law.
“That all the stakeholders, especially the law enforcement agents should show sincerity in the implementation/enforcement of the Anti-Open Grazing Law currently in place in the State.”
The Council also resolved that emphasis now should be on prevention of attack by the armed/criminal herders rather than the reactionary approach.
It stressed the need to have peaceful environment for the IDPs to return to their ancestral homes, while the Chief of Staff to the Governor is to liaise with the Deputy Governor to look at the report on the boundary issue between Ohimini and Otukpo LGAs as discussed in the previous meeting.
According to Sir Kula, the Security Council warned against rustling of cattle in the State.
