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Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
A leader of the Middle Belt Forum, Ben Akarka, has appealed to the federal and state governments to put a stop to the killings in the region.
Akarka who is National Treasurer of the Middle Belt Forum, condemned the spate of violent crimes in Plateau, Kaduna, Adamawa, Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa states that had led to the death of hundreds of innocent people wondering why people who had lived together peacefully in the region for years had suddenly taken up arms against one another.
He described the persistent bloodletting in the region as unfortunate and disheartening even as he called on governments at all levels to set up a committee to investigate the killings of innocent persons, including children, women, men and the aged.
Meanwhile, Governor Samuel Ortom has said that the newly established Miyetti Allah Vigilante security outfit would not operate in Benue State.
Ortom stated this while reacting to a statement credited to Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore (MAKH), in which the group announced that it had established its security outfit called ‘Miyetti Allah Vigilante’ to operate nationwide.
Ortom, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, said the idea of running a nationwide vigilante group was a strategy by the Fulani socio-cultural organisation to elevate their nefarious and inhuman activities to another level.
“Benue State does not need the Miyetti Allah vigilante. The state government is working with conventional security forces and has already established a vigilante group at the state, local governments and ward levels. This is evident in the ongoing recruitment of personnel for community policing who will soon be trained as recommended by Inspector General of Police. As much as we do not have any problems with Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore floating a security outfit in other states, it is important to say that such a vigilante group will not operate in Benue State. Miyetti Allah has no constitutional right to establish a nationwide security outfit.
“They (MAKH) have repeatedly claimed responsibility for the killing of thousands of children, women and other vulnerable people in different states, yet, members of the group walk freely in Abuja and hold press conferences threatening to unleash terror on the people of this country.”
