Bandits in trouble as Benue, Nasarawa governors meet over insecurity

The governor of Nasarawa state, Abdullahi Sule and his Benue state counterpart, Samuel Ortom, on Sunday, January 12, met at the Government House in Lafia over insecurity in both states.

The Herald gathered that Sule recently visited Ortom on the need to foster cooperation on insecurity that has being bedeviling the two states.

They both made a pledge to keep the peace and unity between the states in the face of obvious threats to their security, unity and brotherliness.

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Sule maintained that the unity of Benue and Nasarawa states was non-negotiable, noting that the relative peace both states had enjoyed in the recent past should be sustained.

According to him, “There can be no better time for this visit having witnessed relative peace in both states. Before now, we all belonged to Benue-Plateau and so we have a high population of Tiv, Idoma and Igala in Nasarawa and Benue states, therefore, we must protect them.

“We are one people and the most important resources is our people, therefore, our interest is to protect the people. This is what informed my visit to Benue. We must work together as one, because it is only when there is peace that there can be development.

“We will industrialise Nasarawa State. We have allocated 68,000 hectares of land to Dangote Group for the building of sugar factory in Awe Local Council.”

Earlier, The Herald reported that The Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom and Miyetti Allah Kauta Hore attacked each other over establishment of cattle colonies.

Ortom declared that Miyetti Allah Kauta Hore alleged that the governor must establish cattle colonies or he should forget peace in the state.

In a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS, the governor stated that Miyetti Allah Kauta Hore is not above the law.

The statement read: “We call for the arrest and prosecution of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore national president for persistently making statements capable of causing crises in the country.

“Bodejo in the same media reports had singled out Governor Ortom for vilification, saying the governor has been playing politics with the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law to win sympathy and gain advantage.