Praise James Blog

UNCONFIRMED number of persons were killed, over 40 houses razed and property worth millions of naira destroyed, yesterday, during a communal crisis in Mbayion, Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State. According to an eyewitness, the crisis resulted in the destruction of graves, exhumation of corpses, destruction of cash crops, economic trees and farmlands worth millions of naira, while hundreds of people were displaced. He said trouble started when the family of Ormo Juku of Mbajov, Mbaasakera, Mbayion in Gboko Local Government Area discovered that the grave of their late father, Gesa Ormo, who was buried on Sunday, October 22 was destroyed, his body exhumed and taken to an unknown destination. A victim of the crisis, Mr. Iorgema Ormo, who spoke on behalf of the family, said the crisis had existed for many years. Efforts to get the reaction of the state police spokesman, ASP Moses Yamu, failed as several calls made to his cell phone did not go through

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, Benue chapter, says its members are ready to leave the Benue valley as the November 1 deadline for the implementation of the state’s Anti-Open Grazing Law draws nearer. The Chairman of the association, Garus Gololo, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Makurdi that since the Government made no provision to accommodate their cattle and was insistent on the implementation of the law, they had no option than to leave the state. “This law is confusing, for instance, they have said they are not chasing out the Fulani’s from the state but they have made no provision for our cattle, the cattle markets and even other cattle. “They have told us to buy land for ranches, but the question is from who; you know that the process of getting land from the government is tedious, yet they are insisting that we must buy land for ranches. “When you buy the land, you need the Certificate of Occupancy...