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From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Benue State government has strongly condemned the gruesome murder of a 65 year old farmer, Christopher Inalegwu, on his farm in Aku village, Okokolo Ward of Agatu local government area of the State.
It would be recalled that Christopher, who was reportedly killed by suspected herdsmen on Monday was the only surviving sibling of the Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism, Michael Inalegwu.
The deceased was said to be working on his farm at about 10am when the Herdsmen invaded the area and shot him point blank. He was later rushed to the hospital where he was eventually confirmed dead.
Reacting in a statement made available to newsmen on Tuesday, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Samuel Ortom on Animal Husbandry, Alhaji Shehu Tambaya described Inalegwu’s killing as barbaric and shocking, vowing that perpetrators of such dastardly act, if caught, would face the wrath of the law.
While reiterating Governor Ortom’s resolve never to surrender the state to criminals no matter the intimidation, Tambaya stressed that the state government will not relent in its efforts to ensure that the relative peace currently being enjoyed by people of the state is not truncated.
While calling on security agencies to go after the killers, with a view to apprehending and bringing them to justice, Tambaya urged the Agatu people to remain calm and law abiding assuring that government was already doing everything possible to ensure that Inalegwu’s killers are caught.
He further warned herdsmen who are still in the habit of straying into Benue territory that there is a law banning open grazing in the state which must be obeyed by all.
Tambaya who noted that the law was enacted to put an end to incessant conflicts between crop farmers and livestock rearers further advised those who do not want to obey the Benue grazing law to seek pastures in other states where the such law is not in operation.
