Benue State Governor, Fr Hyacinth Alia, has denied a trending letter purportedly sent to herdsmen to return to the state for open grazing.
There were insinuations in the media that a letter was sent by the governor to herdsmen to return to Benue for open grazing despite a law banning such in the state.
Reacting, however, Alia, through his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, on Friday, said he never sent a letter to any group, including herdsmen, to come to the state.
He insisted that the anti-open grazing and prohibiting law of the state is still alive and shall be fully enforced.
“His Excellency has not, through directives or by himself, sent a letter to any group, including herdsmen, to come into the state to contravene the law in question.
“The Government of Benue State is worried that, based on the already exhibited desperation of some retrogressive elements, it is possible they must have equally cooked such a nefarious communication to achieve their unholy ambition.
“The Benue State government is digging into this matter. If anything of the sort is discovered, the perpetrators must be assured, they will have to answer for their sins against the state.”
I did not write herdsmen to return to Benue for open grazing – Alia
