Gov Suswam is the architect of our clashes with Tiv-Fulani herdsmen

Fulani herdsmen on Monday accused the Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, of being the architect of the  clashes   between them and the   Tiv.

They  also claimed that they had lost 134 of their colleagues and 11,915  herds of cattle to  the clashes  in the last three months in Benue, Plateau and Taraba states.

The herdsmen, under the umbrella body known as  Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association,  specifically traced their woes   to Suswam  whom,  they claimed, stoked the hostilities  against them not only in  Benue State but in Plateau and Taraba states.

Suswam’s convoy  on Tuesday came under attack from some gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen at Tse Akenyi, in Benue State. The governor was on  his way to a camp of displaced persons  in the Guma Local Government  Area of the state when   the incident occurred.

The National Vice-President of  the   cattle breeders association, Alhaji Hussaini   Bosso, told  journalists    in Minna, Niger State, that  their problem in Benue State started when Suswam announced that he did not want them  in the state.

He claimed that the announcement   caused  the massacre of  their members in the   three  states.

Bosso  said  that in  Benue State alone, the association  lost  82 herdsmen and 6,700 cattle  and     43 Fulani   and 4,682  in Plateau State.

  Nine  members of the association  and 533 cattle, according to him,  were lost in Taraba State.

Bosso  claimed that  the  killings  in Benue and Taraba states were   carried out by  the Tiv  and the Beromo in   Plateau State.

He said, “All these atrocities were perpetrated by Tiv people. To our surprise,  the police  were  aware, but did not do anything to avert the ugly developments. Not only  that the Police  felt unconcerned  about the matter, the respective governments of the affected states did nothing.”

Bosso appealed to the governments of the three states to, as a matter of urgency , bring  an  end to   the   killing of innocent Fulani herdsmen.

However, there   was outrage on Wednesday over violent activities of the  herdsmen, particularly the attack on  Suswam’s  convoy.