Benue women, youths protest at NASS, ask President to resign as Miyetti Allah patron
Aggrieved indigenes of Benue State comprising women and youth on Thursday stormed the National Assembly to protest against the killing of 73 people in two local governments of the state by Fulani herdsmen.
The protesters, under the aegis of the Benue Women Forum wore black dresses and carried placards that had various inscriptions such as: “Resign as patron of Myetti Allah now”,”Save us from Fulani herdsmen”.
Read Also: Miyetti Allah urges FG to revive existing grazing reserves
In a letter to the National Assembly addressed to the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) titled: “Benue Women Cry Out”, the Women forum further said: Mr. President, as the Chief Security Officer of this great nation, ensure that Miyetti Allah gets its members to adhere to the Open Grazing Prohibition Law in Benue State.
“They will listen to you as their life Patton. Otherwise, you will be seen as being complacent to the lawlessness of armed marauding herdsmen with the Benue people not having any protection under your government.”
They told Buhari to resign as the patron of Miyetti Allah “if they cannot listen to your counsel to your counsel. “For we believe that Mr. President cannot encourage them to be lawless, maniacal and callous.”
According to the group, the invasion resulted in massive destruction of property and means of livelihood.
The group said, “This unfortunate incident deliberately targeted the harvest season so that the destruction of farm produce is massive. This is intended to leave the people hungry, homeless and impoverished.
On the 1st of January, 2018 armed herdsmen members of Miyetti Allah launched unprovoked attack on several communities in Guma and Logo local government areas of our Benue State while the people were sleeping, killing and maiming (including women and children). Pregnant women were cut open their unborn babies slaughtered like animals. ”
The group said the enactment of the anti- open grazing law was because of incessant attacks, “and intended for the protection of both livestock and crop farmers.”
According to them, the Miyetti Allah had boasted they would not obey the law and that the sudden attack is a proof of it.
“Mr. President, Sir, is this possible under your watch that people of a state are annihilated under you? You are said to be life patron of Miyetti Allah, what is your counsel to them?, the group added
Augustine Okezie, Minna and Mathew Dadiya, Abuja
