Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed shock at learning that 83 more persons were killed by herdsmen in Benue after the New Year’s Day massacre in which 73 persons lost their lives.
He made this known on Saturday at the gravesite of the 73 persons killed in Guma and Logo LGAs of the state by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
The deceased were given a mass burial in an exercise supervised by the state government on January 11.
Obasanjo said he visited Benue to condole with the government and people of the state over the killings.
The former president, who laid wreath at the gravesite, called for collective and collaborative effort to end herdsmen-farmers clashes and attendant loss of lives.
He added that finding a solution to the crisis will continue to be a mirage without tackling the issue from the grassroots.
Obasanjo said, “If the issue is tackled right from the roots there will be no room for assumptions. We must collectively find solutions.”
The former president said that he laid the wreath to convey the depth of his empathy and sorrow over the incident to the affected families, state government and other people of the state.
He said that the clashes were preventing the state from attracting much-needed investment as no investor would be interested in a crisis-prone area.
The president urged the state government not to relent in its efforts as there was light at the end of the tunnel.
Leave a Reply