“It is commendable that Samuel Ortom, the Gov of Benue State ortom, and the house of assembly decided to pass legislation creating an armed civilian vigilante to defend citizens from the onslaught of armed non-state actors that has killed over 3,000 indigenous people in Benue over the past seven years.
The decision was made so late in the day after so much havoc was caused by armed herders from various locations, but as indicated by Benue lawmakers who blindly supported President Buhari’s antagonistic tendencies, it is better to act now than never.
Buhari in favor of the safety and well-being of the people of Benue. Any responsible governor, whether in the South East or the North, ought to applaud the excellent leadership of the Benue governor who gave the government of President Muhammadu Buhari adequate time to put an end to the killings despite receiving negative responses from the same presidential office.
HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA), a leading civil rights organization, has asked governor Samuel Ioraer Ortom to make sure that the armed vigilante operatives are not used as political goons, as Hope Uzodinma is currently doing in Ebubeagu, Imo State, leading to the ongoing genocide of Igbo youths. We urge the deployment of the vigilante group known as Benue Security to safeguard all of the state’s law-abiding citizenry.
“We support the security, stability, and tranquility of Benue State because Benue State is very important as Nigeria’s undeniable food basket because Yam tubers have become a rare commodity since the herder killings began in Benue. Therefore, the agenda to protect farmers in Benue State is one that every right-thinking Nigerian should support now and in the future.
HURIWA recalled that the foundation of vigilante groups to address the high level of insecurity in the state was approved by the Benue State Government on Thursday.
When he briefed journalists on the results of the expanded stakeholders’ meeting held in the Government House’s new banquet hall, Governor Samuel Ortom revealed this.
Speaking to press about the resolutions of the meeting, Ortom highlighted that the state government had resolved to enforce “the law to provide for the installation of community volunteer guards (vigilantes)” since recent attacks on the populace by armed herdsmen had overstretched security services.
He stated that the vigilantes will be organized at all levels, from local government to the community, to support the work of traditional security organizations throughout the state.
Ortom said that the hiring process would start right away and that most of the people hired would be ex-servicemen between the ages of 18 and 50.
“Those to be recruited are ex-service men and people from 18 to 50 years old, and they must have reliable means of income, must have lived in their respective towns for at least six years, and they must be of spotless character and be loyal,” the governor said.
To be able to protect oneself whenever there is external hostility, “all vigilantes must carry weapons that are licensed.”
The governor stated that it is the responsibility of the state government to provide the logistics necessary to support the vigilantes in accordance with the legislation, and he further stated that personnel should be hired throughout the state’s 23 local government regions. The governor received a vote of confidence from the three sociocultural organizations in the state, namely Mdzough U Tiv Worldwide, Ochetoha, K’Idoma, and Omini Igede.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all pertinent international humanitarian laws support the right to self-defense because it is the only right that cannot be restored when a person’s life is taken by armed non-state or state actors, according to HURIWA’s chief of operations and founding chairman Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko.
