Miyetti Allah apologizes to Governor Ortom over killings in Benue

The Benue State Government said the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore on Saturday apologised to the state governor, Samuel Ortom, over the attacks and killings of people in the state by herdsmen.

Giving the apology on behalf of the association at a peace meeting held in Makurdi, Benue State capital, the group’s National Secretary, Saleh Alhassan, reportedly expressed regrets over the killings.

He was said to have pledged to ensure peaceful coexistence between farmers and herdsmen in the state.


According to a statement issued at the end of the meeting by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Terver Akase, the peace move was initiated by the Chairman of Air Peace, Chief Allen Onyema.

The statement said, “The Miyetti Allah scribe described Governor Ortom as a peace-loving man who stood firmly for the emancipation of his people.

“Alhassan gave the assurance that members of the group would embrace the peace initiatives put forward by the governor.”

The statement quoted Ortom as telling the Miyetti Allah group that the enactment of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law in Benue State was to end the killing of innocent people and encourage ranching as the global best practice of animal husbandry.

The governor said any person or group wishing to rear livestock in the state was free to acquire land and build a ranch, according to the provisions of the ranching law of the state.

The statement added that Onyema emphasised the need for peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders in Benue State, saying he personally brought Alhassan to broker peace between the Miyetti Allah and the people of the state.