‘Kill and be killed’ — Fayose warns Benue indigenes over death of herdsman

Babuga Dengi, a herdsman, has been killed in a bush between Irele and Oke Ako in Ikole local government area of Ekiti state.

The killing suspected to be carried out by some indigenes of Benue state in Ekiti sparked tension.

At a meeting with stakeholders from the Fulani and Benue communities, Ayo Fayose, governor of the state,  said there would be no unlawful killing under his watch.

Fayose also said recent measures put in place by his administration were to prevent violence between farmers and herdsmen.

There had been tension between the herdsmen and farmers of Benue extraction in the state over the allegation of farm destruction and killings.

But Fayose, who warned the herdsmen and farmers against turning Ekiti to a war zone, ordered security agents to fish out the killer of the victim.

“I can’t accept anybody to be killed. If anybody kills anyone, I will make sure you are killed by ensuring justice. I’m sad about the killing in Benue but we don’t want brutality in Ekiti,” he said.

“I won’t accept any killing here, the only thing acceptable here is peace. I, therefore, plead with everybody to cooperate with us. I want peace in my state and everybody living here is from Ekiti whether you are Fulani, Tiv, Yoruba or anybody.

“Cow matter can’t cause problems between us. Oke Ako-Irele issue should not be allowed to fester. Cooperate with us and whoever kills would be fished out

“When you are entering Ekiti, drop wherever you are coming from at the boundary. You can’t kill Yoruba, Fulani, Igbo or Tiv here.

“From the information so far, the deceased died as a result of a clash between Fulani herders and some Tiv people, but at that, we can’t condone lawlessness. We don’t want that type of Benue issue here.”

A communique read by Fayose at the end of the meeting ordered an expanded forum of leaders of herdsmen, farmers, hunters, council chairmen and traditional rulers from Oke Ako and Irele.

While noting that the crisis in Oke Ako was between Tivs and Fulani, Fayose said the people must live in peace.