- The Tiv Youth Organization has berated Senator George Akume for his statement concerning the herdsmen attacks in Benue state
- The organisation says the senator's statement has given the armed herdsmen reason to attack Benue state again
- The group was reacting to Miyetti Allah's stance citing the statement of Akume as confirmation that the people of Benue are the ones killing themselves
The Tiv Youth Organization has berated Senator George Akume for his statement concerning the herdsmen attacks in Benue state.
Akume, a former governor of the state, had said the Benue government and not armed Fulani herdsmen were responsible for the mass killings in the state.
Akume who is also the chairman Senate committee on army, made the comment when he led some Benue indigenes to visit President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Friday, November 23.
The group was reacting to Miyetti Allah's stance citing the statement of Akume as confirmation that the people of Benue are the ones killing themselves.
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In a press statement sent to Legit.ng by its president, Timothy Hembaor, the Tiv group said Senator Akume has given Miyetti Allah groups a reason to sponsor more attacks on Benue communities.
During the presentation of the Amnesty International's report on herders and farmers crises in Nigeria titled "Harvest of Death," the national secretary of Miyetti Allah, Engineer Saleh Alhassan had cited the statement of Akume as confirmation that the people of the state are the ones killing themselves and not Fulani herdsmen.
“Senator Akume has told the whole world that it was Governor Ortom that recruited those that are responsible for the killings in the Benue Valley,” Saleh said.
Hembaor said: “The Miyetti Allah spokesman made this mockery of a statement in the presence of ambassadors of several European countries and diplomats from other parts of the world.
“We are deeply worried by this development because Senator Akume has given Miyetti Allah groups a reason to sponsor more gory attacks on innocent Benue communities.
“Now, the terrorists have an alibi to hide under and send their armed militia to spill more blood in Benue state, no thanks to the political and ill-motivated comments of Senator Akume.
“We are still shocked that the senator is yet to publicly apologize to the state despite the wide condemnations that followed his shameful statement.
“We once again condemn Senator Akume's comments and demand a public apology from him to Benue people.
“We have now seen the ugly faces of the traitors among us. We now know that Senator Akume is one of those conspiring with terror groups like Miyetti Allah to sustain the mindless bloodletting in Benue state.
“If any herdsmen attack take place in Benue from now going forward, Senator Akume and his Miyetti Allah partners should be held accountable.”
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Former Senate President, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, had described Akume statement as, “unfortunate, irresponsible and embarrassing to Benue state, considering the position he occupies in the society.”
Dr. Ayu regretted that such a statement was coming from Senator Akume, “who as the Senate committee chairman on army has failed woefully to prevail on the federal government to end the killing of hundreds of innocent people in the state only to make such a spurious allegation.”
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