BENUE State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has reacted to the charges brought against him at the International Criminal Court (ICC) by the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN).
Ortom told The ICIR in an exclusive interview in Makurdi, Benue State, that Miyetti Allah got wind of his move to take them to ICC.
Speaking on series of attacks by herdsmen on agrarian communities in Benue State, Ortom said he would have taken up arms to fight if not for God and his respect for the rule of law.
He said, “If I were not a child of God, if I did not believe in being lawful, if I did not have respect for the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I would have taken arms myself to go there and fight. Because this impunity is too much, they (Fulani herdsmen) think that as their brother is there, nothing will happen to them, and they do anyhow and go scot-free.
“We have not done anything illegal, and it is me that is taking Miyetti Allah to ICC because they heard about my preparation to take them to court and other people who are complicit, and that was why they went ahead to make that pronouncement.”
He also alleged that Miyetti Allah has the backing of the Federal Government.
“In 2017, we enacted a law prohibiting open grazing in Benue State. This law is not in conflict with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Because they have the support of the Federal Government to do what they are doing, that is why they can open their mouth and say they are going to take Benue State or me to ICC. It is really unfortunate, and it is me that will take them to ICC. We have not done anything wrong.”
He added, “I look at what they have said as an insult and also to prove that nothing will happen to them as usual. From 2017 I have been writing petitions. They took me to court when the law banning open grazing was enacted.
“They took me to court, we defeated them, and they went on appeal, and up till today, they cannot or do not even show up when we go there, and I think the next adjournment is that we will be asking for a judgment of the appeal court to sort out these things.”
Ortom described the herdsmen as evil people.
“Because these are evil people, they are not human beings. But the Constitution allows me and my state to make laws for good governance, provide security, and ensure that the state is peaceful, and I decided to collaborate with the people of Benue to enact this law.”
Ortom further disclosed that Miyetti Allah vowed that they would not obey the anti-open grazing law signed in 2017.
According to him, despite their ‘impunity’, no Fulani man has been killed or sent away from the state.
“We went to court, and I defeated them. I am a law-abiding citizen. Have you heard that we have killed any Fulani here in Benue State? You will never hear that. We have not sent any Fulani man away from Benue State, that law prohibiting open grazing is a win-win law, but because they were using this issue of open grazing as a shield to come in and take over the land, that is why they are angry with what we have done. We have further exposed them, that their real agenda is about occupation, is about eliminating our people, its about genocide.
“We have said, whether you are a Fulani man, whatever man you are, whatever business you want to do in Benue State, be law-abiding, that is the only way we can live, and let’s live.”
The governor added: “Four places were designated for public hearing, and we went through due process, the State Executive Council and the House of Assembly. The House of Assembly organised four different public hearing venues, which were held and passed, and I signed it into law in 2017. Miyetti Allah came out and said they would never obey that law. Most of these people are not even Nigerians. They come here and say they will not obey the laws of the land.
“It is very painful. When I was serving as minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2013, these same Fulani people came to my village and deceived people that their two hundred cattles were rustled. They killed 53 people in my village alone, razed down my ancestral home, and went scot-free, up till today, nobody has been apprehended. My people cannot cultivate on their farmlands, and Benue State economy is actively supported by peasant farming after the civil service.”
