…As Herdsmen kill 20, burn houses in fresh Benue attacks***

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday lambasted religious fundamentalists killing human beings in order to please God, saying that they were ignorant as they could not please Him by murdering people.

He said his administration would investigate and bring to book all perpetrators of mayhem across the country.

The President said that no religion or civilised culture would tolerate violence, especially the taking of another life.

According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President spoke at separate meetings with the Qadiriyya Muslim Movement in Africa and the Izalatul-Bid’a-Wa-Iqamatus-Sunnah at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Buhari said anyone, or group of persons, who unleash violence on the innocent in the name of a movement, cause or religion lack understanding of the ordinances of God.

“You can’t kill to please God; and I know no religion tolerates the taking of another person’s life in the name of a religious movement.

“There is never a justification for killing any member of the society. We have been tackling the Boko Haram menace, and we have made significant impact, and we will extend the measures to stop all wanton killings,’’ he said.

The President said the security apparatus would be consistently reviewed to check threats to the peaceful co-existence of all Nigerians, and ensure the safety of lives and properties.

He told the delegation that his political party, the All Progressives Congress, campaigned on three issues, noting that his government had been consistent in ensuring that it “provides adequate security, fights corruption and stimulates the economy for creation of jobs.”

“Our priority is to also ensure that everyone in the country has something to eat. We are really concerned about the underprivileged.

“Graciously, God has been hearing our prayers. In the past two years, we have had bountiful harvest due to favourable conditions. All over the country, we have reports of farmers posting good harvests,” he said.

On corruption, the President said the security agencies would continue to expand their dragnet to ensure that sanity was restored into public offices.

“Justice will be done to all in the war against corruption. As religious leaders, I urge you to tell your followers to respect the rights of others.

“Those that stole from the public can no longer sleep well in the country today. When they run abroad, they cannot take their landed assets with them.

“We will, in all cases, have them return what they looted,” he added.

In his remarks, the leader of Qadiriyya Muslim Movement in Africa, Dr. Keribullah  Kabara, said the movement would continue to uphold the President in prayers for good health and longer life to pursue the course of building a stronger nation that caters for all citizens.

He said the reports of improved security in the North-East and better harvests for farmers across the nation were clear signs of God’s favour on the government, urging the President to continually look unto God.

In an interview with State House correspondents shortly after meeting the President, Yassin Garba Maisikeli, said their mission was to pray for the President’s health as well as the health and progress of Nigeria.

In the meantime, no fewer than 50 persons have been killed in fresh attacks on Benue communities by suspected Fulani herdsmen after they invaded parts of the Guma and Logo Local Government Areas of the state on New Year’s Day.

The attacks, which spilled over to Tuesday, came on the heels of the implementation of the anti-open grazing law, which the Fulani herdsmen considered detrimental to their means of livelihood.

Our correspondent gathered that in the Monday’s attacks, the herders invaded two communities in Guma and three communities in the Logo LGAs.

The affected communities are Gaambe-Tiev, Ayilamo and Turan all in Logo LGA as well as Umenger, Tse-Akor and Tomatar near Tse-Abi in Nongov District of Guma LGA.

The invading herdsmen were said to have attacked Gaambe-Tiev, Ayilamo and Turan villages in Logo LGA on New Year’s Day at the time the people were returning from the New Year’s service.

The assailants were said to have descended on the communities around 9pm on Monday and continued the attack till around 4am on Tuesday, shooting indiscriminately and burning down houses and huts.

A source, who spoke to one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity, said, “There were coordinated attacks on five communities by the well-armed herdsmen who stormed our villages in large number, around 10pm to 4am.

They would enter any particular compound, and knock at the door. Once you open your door, they will capture you and slaughter you.

“As I speak with you, the affected villages have been deserted and the invaders have taken over and are razing the ancestral homes of the people who have fled from the areas to other towns in their thousands, for fear of being killed.

“It’s a pathetic situation. The development has inflicted untold hardship on women, children and the elderly, who are trekking long distances in search of a safe haven and awaiting the intervention of security operatives.”

At the time one of our correspondents visited the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, on Tuesday, two fresh corpses were brought into the hospital while many others were said to have been deposited in the morgue.

Dr. Gajir Tsoho of the Department of Surgery, BSUTH, who spoke with newsmen, disclosed that over 30 victims of the attack were receiving treatment at the teaching Hospital with many corpses already deposited at the morgue of the hospital.

Among the dead brought to the hospital during the visit of The PUNCH on Tuesday were a father and his two-year-old son as well as a young man said to have just returned home after completing his National Youth Service Corps.

Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, who did not give the number of casualties while speaking with newsmen, blamed security agents for not taking decisive action to curb the attacks on the people.

Speaking after the State Security Meeting in Makurdi, Ortom said that no matter the level of intimidation and killings by the herdsmen, the anti-open grazing law would not be reversed or repealed.

The governor stated that security agents were informed ahead of time before the Fulani herders came to attack the people.

He added, ‘’This is unfortunate. The security agencies of this country are aware of what is happening in Benue. So many people are being killed, many houses destroyed, some innocent children were slaughtered, other sliced in the throat just because they want to be law abiding.

“Even amongst the livestock guards, who were there to ensure that there are no clashes, nine of them were killed and innocent women and children were killed. This is not fair.”

Ortom, who addressed journalists after visiting some of the victims receiving treatment at the BSUTH, Makurdi, called on the Federal Government to provide protection for the people of Benue to show that they were also Nigerian citizens.

“We must rise up; Nigerians must rise up; the Federal Government must rise up to protect us because this is not right. They (FG) own the security apparatus. The ones that are here are doing their best but there should be more and that is what we are calling for,” the governor said.

Citizen with additional report from Punch