Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule has met with the national leadership of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, a Fulani socio-cultural group, following the bomb blast which resulted in the death of about 40 Fulani herders, in Rukubi, Doma Local Government Area.
Engineer Sule met with the Fulani community leaders at the Government House, on Thursday.
Briefing journalists shortly after the meeting, the Governor said the meeting became necessary in order to further continous efforts on peace building, as well as to condole with and sympathize with the victims.
He disclosed that, following revelations from the victims of the attack, his administration will take up the matter with the Federal Government, aimed at finding lasting solution to similar incidences.
Engineer Sule confirmed that the Rukubi attack was carried out by an unidentified drone, which led to the loss of lives and cattle.
He further disclosed that, he has spoken with his Benue State counterpart, Governor Samuel Ortom on the incidence, following which the Benue governor agreed to release about 230 cattle impounded free of charge.
The Governor said he has taken it upon himself to arrange for the leaders of the Miyetti Allah, alongside Fulani community leaders and survivors of the attack, to meet with top security chiefs in Abuja, with a view to taking steps to forestall feature occurrence of similar attacks.
“As you are aware, we had an incident yesterday, where a drone, we confirmed it’s a drone, bombed an area where some Fulanis who went to retrieve their impounded cattle in Benue State were bombed, with about 40 people killed.
“As part of our effort at peace building and showing sympathy to the victims, we decided to invite the national leaders of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore and we are lucky, the national chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello Bodejo came along with some of the other Ardos as well as security agencies. From what you saw, roughly about 200 other leaders of tye Fulani community from Nasarawa State and also part of Benue attended the meeting.
“We were able first to send our condolences over the incident that happened and the loss of lives we had yesterday. After that, we were able to hear from them first hand, exactly what has happened. And we heard about all the various loses of the cattle that happened.
“In addition to that, we were able to pacify them and took a decision to take this matter up with the Federal Government and we are also trying to schedule a meeting where some of the leaders of Miyetti Allah will also have the opportunity to meet with some of the security chiefs in Abuja, for the purpose of finding lasting solution to what is happening right now.
“We have spoken also to the Governor of Benue State a few times and the Governor has given the go ahead for all the remaining cattle, over 230, currently in custody, to be released without any payment from any Fulani, who usually pay roughly N300, 000 for every cattle and sometimes up to 700, 000 for the feeding of a cow,” he stated.
On his part, national chairman of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello Bodejo, appreciated the Governor for intervening and working assiduously to resolve the matter with a view to ensuring lasting solutions to the recurring attacks on mostly Fulani herders along the Nasarawa/Benue borders.
“We condoled with the Governor over the killings of Fulanis. The Governor is taking everybody along in his efforts to bring about lasting peace. He has been able to convince his Benue State counterpart to release all our cattle held in custody in Benue State.
“We have agreed to follow him and to support him in his efforts to resolve the issue. We also agree to meet with security chiefs in Abuja so that we can tell them first hand about the incidence towards finding lasting peace,” he said.
Also commenting, Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police, Maiyaki Muhammed Baba, said his command has taken adequate steps to forestall reprisal attacks in the area, with mobile policemen deployed to the area to sustain the peace.