Traditional rulers warn against negotiating with herders
The traditional rulers in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State have warned against negotiating with herders to cede land within the council.
This resolution was made at the end of an extraordinary expanded sitting of Gwer West LG Traditional Council held on Saturday at the palace of Ter Tyoshin in Naka and presided over by His Royal Highness, Daniel Abomtse, and a copy was made available to journalists on Monday.
According to the communique signed by other traditional rulers and prominent people in the council, they called on youths to mobilise themselves ti exercise in their various communities.
Gwer West Local Government had witnessed a series of violent attacks in recent times, leading to the burning down of the palace, the local government secretariat and other private properties by youths who protested incessant killings and kidnapping in their communities by suspected armed herders.
Rising from the expanded extraordinary sitting, the traditional rulers urged all Tyoshin sons and daughters to show commitment to the programme of insecurity in the land in whatever capacity they will be called upon to serve
The communique read in parts, “The sitting vehemently condemned the unabated activities of marauding herdsmen, who wittingly attack, murder, rape, and maim our people, destroying houses and farms, and laying siege on all communities cutting across fifteen (15) council wards and appealed to Government to continue to support the people to send away the enemy.
“The sitting acknowledged security agents for their efforts in handling the security challenges bedeviling the people of Gwer West and urged them to double their efforts in combating insecurity in the land.
“The sitting urged Traditional rulers to take charge of their communities and exercise traditional authority to ensure the security and safety of their people and not betray the trust reposed in them as custodians of the lands and the areas within their domain.
“Nobody is allowed to negotiate with herders to cede land, co-exist or strike any deal on behalf of the people of Gwer West. Any person found wanting in this regard shall be handed over to law enforcement agents. The sitting urged the youth to mobilise themselves to continue to exercise vigilance in their various communities.”
The traditional rulers also called youths in the council to show remorse and apology over acts of arson, looting, sacking and burning of Ter Tyoshin’s palace, annex and extension buildings, and also properties of other individuals, they also frowned at the activities of cultism in the land and called on the youth to desist from any form of criminality.
