Sanusi doubles down on allegation against Ortom over Nasarawa bombing

The 14th Emir of Kano and Grand-Khalifa of Tijjaniyya, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has alleged that the bombing incident that led to the killing of over 40 herdsmen in Nasarawa State was orchestrated from Benue State.

Sanusi's accusation comes barely 24 hours after Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, alleged that some Fulani elites spearheaded by the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, were plotting to pin the bombing of the herders on him.

Ortom quoted a petition signed by 52 Fulani personalities including Sanusi and sent to President Muhammadu Buhari, which indicted him for the airstrike that claimed the lives of herders in a community between the North-Central states of Benue and Nasarawa.

In his reaction, Sanusi, during an interview on BBC Hausa, insisted that the bombing emanated from Benue State, adding that Ortom had made anti-open grazing laws as well as set up a state militia to target pastoralists.

The erstwhile CBN Governor also said the group (Fulbe Global) that petitioned Buhari is a coalition of pastoralists' leadership that seeks to protect Fulani culture, restore good morals and fight for the rights of pastoralists while dealing with recalcitrant elements in the group.

Sanusi's words: “Governor Ortom is the one who came with a legislation that outlaws Fulani from grazing and established Benue Livestock Guards and armed them. They have killed Fulani. They confiscated their cattle. They extorted and oppressed them. This is not a mere allegation.

“I, alongside Lamidon Adamawa and late Ahmed Joda had a meeting with Vice President, the then IG, Idris and Minister of Agriculture Audu Ogbeh where I presented a document to the attendants revealing that Benue state government would train these ranchers (Livestock Guards) how to use firearms which violates Nigerian laws. The federal government is not unaware about this but couldn’t do anything.

“These people were armed and they killed innocents and impounded their cattle. The recent incident in Nasarawa was not the first of its kind. This is almost the fifth time they have shelled bombs on these people in Nasarawa. Neither the Nasarawa state governor nor the traditional rulers raised alarm that there were terrorists in their domain, let’s bombard them.

“All the air strikes that took place in Nasarawa were masterminded from Makurdi. We must hold him responsible since we know his position against Fulani. It’s only an investigation that will avail him of the allegations. Why won’t there be an investigation to reveal who masterminded the bombardment? And who gives orders to the Air force to always launch these airstrikes?

“We wrote an open letter to the president, making him the commandant in chief. To this moment, there is no statement from the presidency to condole or sympathize with the victims’ families; let alone to talk about compensating them. The presidency is mum about it, on the other hand if one person was killed in the south; they would speak out."