From: Uche Nnorom, Makurdi
Chairman of Ado Local Government Area of Benue State, Mr.James Oche, yesterday cautioned the government and people of Ebonyi state to stop pointing accusing fingers at the people of Agila community of Benue state, as being responsible for the attack on Ngbo communities of Ebonyi State at the early hours of Monday.
He however described as the “peak of falsehood”, the reports in section of the media credited to the Ebonyi State Government alleging that the people of Agila are behind the attack, when they had already identified their attackers as Fulani Herdsmen.
It should be noted that Ebonyi State Government through the state Deputy governor Dr. Kelechi Igwe
had earlier issued a statement which was made available to Journalists in Abakiliki, that herdsmen attacked Umuogudu Akpu -Ngbo Community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the State at the early hours of Monday.
But several hours later, the same Deputy governor turned around to say that the attackers were no longer herdsmen but gunmen from Agila community of Benue state .
Reacting to this development, the Ado council Chairman said, the victims of the purported attack had come to said their attackers were herders and wondered why the Ebonyi State Government was bent on accusing his people(Agila community), even in the face of rumours making the rounds that the attack was a reprisal.
The Chairman in a statement, said he was dismayed by the report in the media which reported that the Ebonyi State Government fingered the people of Agila as being responsible for the attack.
“The people of Agila are peace loving people and have since embraced the recommendations of the Otse Otokpa/Cyril Obazi Agila/Ngbo Intercommunity Peace and Security Committee formed by the governments of Ebonyi and Benue States and have been cooperating with the National Boundary Commission on the planned delimitation and rebeaconing exercise scheduled to hold within the axis.
“So, falsehood and complicity of allegations cannot be the solution to the problem but would deteriorate the already tensed situation.
“I therefore urge the two parties involved to present facts for the interest of peace and the security of the areas”, Oche said.
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