There’s a hidden agenda to wipe out Benue people – Lawrence Onoja

The Benue State Government has slammed the Jama’atul Nasril Islam, for failing to condemn the several open threats and inciting statements by the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore and its sympathisers against the state.

A statement by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Lawrence Onoja, stated that the JNI was attempting to use the herdsmen attacks on the state to misrepresent facts by portraying the state and Governor Samuel Ortom as creating an atmosphere of religious intolerance in the state.

Onoja said, “Nothing can be farther from the truth. We stand by our earlier statements concerning the herdsmen crisis in the state.

“There are documented evidences that confirm that the MAKH and MACBAN, along with their sympathisers have been making inciting statements. This suggests that the attacks on Benue State are motivated by ulterior motives beyond a struggle for open grazing.

“It is on the record that the National Vice-President of MACBAN, Husaini Bosso, warned that there would be more bloodshed in Benue if the anti-open grazing law is not scrapped. This was barely 48 hours after the mass burial of the 73 victims killed by herdsmen in January 2018.”

“Despite being a predominantly Christian state, there are also Muslims in the state going about their lawful business. We strongly discourage and would resist any attempt from any quarters to polarise our state along ethnic and religious lines,” Onoja added.