The leader of the Conference of Minority Tribes, Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi has accused the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Shiite Islamic sect of instigating the current wave of killings by Fulani herdsmen in Benue State.
Comrade Ogenyi who spoke during a protest of the group at the Benue Peoples House this morning over the incessant killings across the state, called on the presidency to look into the matter in the same manner the Shiite uprising in the north was handled, to halt all attempts to spread extremism to other parts of the country.
He further lamented the scale of destruction caused by the crisis, describing it as an ethnic cleansing exercise labelled Fulani-Agatu crisis to desensitize the national consciousness.
“the on-going ethnic cleansing has been mischievously labelled Fulani-Agatu crisis under circumstances that are at best efforts to desensitize the national consciousness to the enormity of the scale on which Benue state people are being wiped-out on a daily basis.” Okpokwu said.
Furthermore the group has also requested the Federal Government to provide compensation and relief to the victims of the invasion, while demanding the government to come out with a definite policy to curtail extremism.
“Individuals fingered in the Shiite crisis and those threatening the state as clearly seen in the published videos must be arrested and prosecuted. Government must then come out with a definite policy to curtail any form of extremism.” He said.
Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom, in his response declared that the North will no longer tolerate any extremist group which threatens the peace of the region.
The Governor assured the people of government’s continued protection from external attacks and that his administration was looking into the issue of further attacks by herdsmen even as he informed of increased security presence in the affected areas.
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