By Austin Angwe, Makurdi
The Benue State House of Assembly has called on Governor Hyacinth Alia to fully implement the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches (Establishment) Law, 2017, to end the killings of innocent people by armed Fulani herdsmen in various parts of the state.
The Assembly during its plenary presided over by the Speaker Aondo Dajo, Tuesday, in Makurdi, strongly condemned the coordinated invasion, massacre, and acts of terrorism against the people of Yelewata and elsewhere in the state, describing the act as barbaric and a form of ethnic cleansing.
The Assembly requested the Governor to declare a three-day mourning period from June 18th to 20th, 2025, in honour of the innocent people killed by the Fulani herdsmen.
The lawmakers urged the Governor to take decisive action to bring a lasting solution to the crisis and called on the people of Benue to remain vigilant and prepared to defend themselves within the bounds of the law.
The Assembly attributed the killings to the security agencies’ lack of proactivity, urging the Governor to enforce the law to help curb the violence in the state.
