The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore has apologized to Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue state, for the attacks and killings in the state allegedly perpetrated by Fulani herdsmen.
The association’s national secretary, Saleh Alhassan, tendered the apology on Saturday at a peace meeting in Makurdi initiated by Allen Onyeama, the chairman of Air Peace airline.
Alhassan pledged to ensure peaceful coexistence between farmers and herdsmen in the state, according to a statement issued at the end of the meeting by Terver Akase, Ortom’s chief press secretary.
“The Miyeitti Allah scribe described Governor Ortom as a peace-loving man who stood firmly for the emancipation of his people.
“Alhasan gave assurance that members of the group would embrace the peace initiatives put forward by the Governor,” the statement said.
Ortom said at the meeting that the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law was enforced as a way of ending the killings and encourage ranching as the global best practice of animal husbandry, not to cause any crisis.
The governor pointed out that the law protects both farmers and livestock farmers saying that any person or ethnic group can acquire land in the state to rear livestock.
Onyema said he personally brought Alhassan to the meeting because of the need for a peaceful cohabiting of farmers and herders in Benue state.
Hundreds of people have been reportedly killed by herdsmen in Benue.
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