Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The embattled governorship candidate of the Benue state chapter of All Progressive Congress, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia says nobody should blame Fulani herdsmen for the killings in the state.
This is just as the candidate has given an hint of his plan to repeal the anti open grazing law which was signed by Governor Samuel Ortom during his first term in office to end farmers/herders clashes in the state.
The Catholic priest who was few months ago suspended by the church also said that the killings in Benue are results of internal crisis amongst farmers in the state without any influence of Fulani herdsmen.
Speaking in Makurdi during a consultation recently, Alia said he is coming as Benue state governor to restore the dignity of Fulani herdsmen who he said are being tagged as killers of innocent Benue indigenes.
According to Alia, the allegations that Fulani are the killers of Benue people are baseless, adding that the people of the state are the ones killings themselves and not the Fulani herdsmen
On ceding Benue land to fulani herdsmen when he becomes governor, Alia said there is nothing wrong if some portions of lands are given to the herdsmen to do their cattle rearing.
He said that herdsmen aren’t killing people in Benue, stressing that they are just being accused wrongly that they are killers.
Speaking on Tinubu/Shettima’s Muslim-muslim ticket, Father Alia said it is not necessary that a Christian should rule the country in 2023.
He also said that there is nothing wrong for the president and his vice to both be from Islam, noting that religion shouldn’t be a yardstick to be elected to a position of responsibility.