Special Assistant to Benue State Governor on Fulani Matters, Garus Gololo, has faulted a statement credited to his boss, Samuel Ortom, that Fulani herdsmen have occupied 12 local governments in the state.
Ortom, was quoted as making the statement while hosting the National President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Samson Ayokunle, on Friday.
A statement by the Special Assistant to the CAN President, Adebayo Oladeji, claimed Ortom told his guests that 12 Benue LGAs were under the siege of Fulani herdsmen.
However, Gololo told journalists in Makurdi on Saturday that the comment attributed to Ortom was untrue.
Gololo said Fulani herdsmen never forcefully occupied any area in the state, but stayed peacefully with their hosts in seven local governments.
He said, “I disagree with the statement I read in some national dailies that Fulani have taken over 12 local government areas of the state. I can authoritatively inform you that as of today, herdsmen are staying in seven council areas of the state peacefully with farmers and their host communities.
“The seven council areas where our men are staying and grazing their cows are Agatu, Guma, Makurdi, Logo, Ohimini, Oju and Otukpo. The Fulani live in harmony with their hosts without any problem.”
Speaking on the anti-grazing bill recently passed into law by the Benue State House of Assembly, the special adviser said: “I don’t even know what the bill is all about. All I know is that the state has no power to create grazing reserves, except for the Federal Government, because we are all Nigerians and the constitution of Nigeria permits freedom of movement. Nobody should try to restrict the movement of another.”
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