TRENDING VIDEO ON EVICTION OF HERDERS IN EBONYI IS HOAX — EBONYI STATE GOVT
Reporter : AMECHI ODO
Ebonyi State Government has called on security agencies to fish out those behind a trending video, which portrayed Fulani herdsmen residing in the area as being attacked and evicted from their camps in the state.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Kenneth Ugbala, stated this during an emergency security meeting at Government House Abakaliki.
In attendance at the meeting were Security Chiefs, members of the State Farmers and Herders Peace Committee and the Leadership of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association in the state.
Dr. Ugbala described the two minutes video trending on line as fake news and the handiwork of mischievous persons, who were erroneously working hard to scuttle the growing peace between herders and farmers in the area.
He pointed out that information contained in the video did not represent the true situation on ground as the leadership of Miyetti Allah and security agencies had confirmed that no herdsman was attacked or evicted from the state.
‘’Such video, such voices as recorded never happened anywhere in Ebonyi State; we will join hands with security agencies as government and fish out people who dwell and find pleasure in dishing out false information to members of the public,’’ the SSG insisted.
The State Chairman of Farmers and Herders Peace Committee, who is also the Attorney General of the State, Mr. Cletus Ofoke, noted that it was an attempt to tarnish the image of the government and his committee as the said attack never took place.
‘’We have channels of communication from Development Centre level, Local Government level and down to the state and in this particular instance neighther did we get any information from the Development Centre nor any Local Government not to talk of the members of the committee,’’ Mr. Ofoke stated.
The Secretary of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association in the state, Alhaji Sani Inusa, said there was no truth in the purported video as a family of herders, who was at the centre of the clip, voluntarily relocated to Taraba State.
‘’One of the herdsmen in Ebonyi State by name Alhaji Adamu informed the Association of his intention to relocate back to Taraba State. According to him, he has been given a title that will warrant him to stay in his village in Taraba,’’ Miyetti Allah scribed said.
The Commissioner of Police in the State, Mr. Philip Maku, who spoke on behalf of other security chiefs, urged members of the public to support efforts to rid the state of criminals.
‘’I have continued to say that criminality has no religion or brother, so we must join hands to fish out the criminals within our society,’’ the Police Commissioner stated.
He urged herders in the state to continue to leave peacefully with their host communities.