The group also demanded his immediate sack, saying that he had failed in his responsibilities to protect Nigerians and arrest law breakers, even as they alleged that the police boss, by his utterances, was justifying the crime.
The Forum, in a joint statement signed by Yinka Odumakin (South-West), Bassey Henshaw (South-South), Chigozie Ogbu (South East) and Isuwa Dogo (Middle Belt), said that it was worried by the deafening silence of President Muhammadu Buhari over the killings.
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The Forum also said that it was alarmed at the indifference and slow response by the Federal Government, adding that the confidence of Nigerians in the ability of the government to protect them in times of crisis is now shaken going by the developments in Benue State.
While also calling on members of the National Assembly to cut short their recess so as to address the issue, the Forum also demanded the unbundling of the police structure so that states can have their own police.
“We are appalled by the level of killings that has gone on in Benue State in the last few days and the seeming official indifference in condemning and going after the perpetrators of the deadly crimes.
“We have seen images of horror and wanton killings perpetrated by killer herdsmen who went on a killing spree and are now granting press conferences justifying why they carried out such a barbaric act”, the statement noted.
On the IGP’s remark after his meeting with President Buhari, the forum said, “We are further embarrassed that the inspector-general of police, who ordinarily should have gone after these criminals, has been making excuses for the murderers, against the call of his duty.
“The IGP, after meeting with President Buhari at the Villa last Friday, made highly insensitive remarks: ‘Obviously, it is communal crisis; herdsmen are part of the community. They are Nigerians and are part of the community. Are they not?
“We consider the above remarks highly unbecoming of the number 1 cop in Nigeria, who should enforce the law against murderers. And it has shown clearly what the lopsided appointments into security forces can cause.
“A multi-ethnic society requires a reflection of its plurality in the leadership of its security apparatus so that the type of balance required can be provided at all times.
We must also express our reservations about the deafening silence by the president about these killings; as we are yet to hear a word directly from him over these cold-blooded murders, which many have seen as reprisals over the outlawing of open-grazing of cattle in Benue State.
“These killings threaten the fragile unity of this country and the official handling of the fall-outs is proving worse than the very sinister act itself.
“As things stand, the confidence of most sections of the county in the willingness of the Federal Government to protect them is badly shaken as the authority of the central government appears largely compromised,” the statement reads.
The Forum, meanwhile, called for the immediate removal of IGP Idris in the face of his unguarded statement, while also calling for the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators, among other demands.
“In order to restore faith in the government and prevent a resort to self-help in the face of existential threats from killers, we demand the following: Immediate removal of the IGP and his replacement for having failed to effect the law against murders and justifying crimes.
Immediate arrests of the killers and their sponsors; the Federal Government must disarm all herdsmen across the country immediately.
“An urgent commencement of the unbundling of the police structure so that states must have their own police to enforce laws made by their Houses of Assembly.
“The president should address the country on these incidents and announce concrete measures to assure citizens that his government has not abdicated the primary responsibility of protecting lives and property.
“The National Assembly should cut short its recess to address this national emergency.
“We call on all statesmen and leaders across the country to speak up on this national disaster as silence is sinful,” the statement further reads.
Also speaking on national television on Monday, Tony Nyiam, a retired army colonel, accused President Buhari of double standards in addressing the Fulani herdsmen issue, saying that he was shocked at the deployment of police personnel to quell the violence in the state.
He compared the killings in Benue to the recent attacks in Rivers State, which also left many people dead.
According to him, soldiers were deployed to track down the said mastermind of the killings, one notorious cultist and kidnap kingpin, Johnson Igwedibia, who also was known as Don Waney.
Nyiam further recalled that troops were also deployed to tackle the threat posed by a secessionist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in Abia State.
“There are double standards that we see here. Today, the cultist guy in Rivers has been killed by the military because the military (troops) were sent in.
“Why will President Muhammadu Buhari send police to Benue? Why not the military? When it was the case of the militants, soldiers were sent. When it was the case of IPOB, soldiers were sent.
“In the case of sophisticatedly armed invaders, mainly as said by the Kano State governor (Abdullahi Ganduje) as foreigners, you send police, that is pure double-standard,” Nyiam said.
Govs, Ministers, Security Chiefs Meet In Abuja
Meanwhile, a security meeting involving five northern state governors and security chiefs over the recent violent conflicts between farmers and herdsmen in parts of the country held on Monday in Abuja.
The meeting was convened by the Minister of Interior, retired Lt.-Gen. Abdulralman Dambazau, at the minister’s conference room.
In attendance were the Governors of Adamawa, Jibrilla Bindow; Benue, Samuel Ortom; Kaduna, Nasir el-Rufai; Nasarawa, Tanko Al-Makura, and Taraba, Darius Ishaku.
The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris; the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawa Daura and the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abdullahi Gana, were also present.
In his opening remarks, Dambazau stated that the Federal Government would not tolerate any threat to peace and public safety in any form in the country.
He said that it was the responsibility of government at all levels to ensure the security of lives and property within their territorial boundaries.
“It is against this background that the meeting is convened primarily to bring us together to share our experiences on the security challenges.
“The meeting will then agree on the necessary measures to be taken and apportion responsibilities.
“We are all aware of the noble objectives, policy initiatives and huge investments of the states and Federal Government with regards to numerous development projects being embarked upon, notable among which is in the agricultural sector.
“It is quite unfortunate that we find ourselves confronted by communal conflicts and criminal acts resulting in bloodshed and destruction of food crops, livestocks, agricultural investments, and exposing rural communities to untold hardship,” the minister said.
He noted that the current situation was very dangerous in the northern parts of the country in particular and in the nation in general.
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Dambazau listed the immediate repercussions of the menace to include hunger arising from acute shortage of food, diseases and deepening of animosity between ethnic and religious groups.
“Bearing in mind that general elections are just approaching and considering the history of political and election violence in Nigeria, all necessary steps must be taken to ensure the recently witnessed violence is curtailed.
“We must also not allow people, who are bent on sustaining instability for their political interests, to politicise matters of security,” Dambazau added.
After the meeting, the Federal Government gave marching order to security agencies to apprehend and prosecute perpetrators of the killings in parts of the country, especially in Benue.
This is as Governors Samuel Ortom of Benue State and Darius Ishaku of Taraba maintained that the anti-open grazing law promulgated in their states have come to stay.
The two governors briefed journalists after the marathon special security meeting.
Ortom, who has been in the eye of the storm, said the meeting among other issues condemned the killings, under whatever guise, adding that all states that have been taken the brunt in the clashes have resolve to synergise with the Federal Government and security agencies to contain the problem.
The meeting, they said, frown at the tendency by a cross section of Nigerians to politicise the herdsmen attack, saying instead the problem should be seen as part of the ongoing security challenges confronting the country.
“We have agreed that killing in any form is not allowed and security men must apprehend such people and prosecute them.
“There’s no need to politicise this matter, it is the responsibility of all Nigerians, not just Mr. President, or security agencies or governors but that of all Nigerians, and I think that’s the right thing to do.
The security men should apprehend perpetrators and prosecute them. And there is need for all to reduce hate speech as it does not really add any value to the development of the country”.
Chief Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, had before the meeting, said that the country was currently passing through a period of anxiety with the high level of criminality going on across the country.
“Nothing is more disheartening than this endless conflict between (farmers and herdsmen) and the criminality that has crept into this whole system of agricultural development.
“We are very saddened by the tragedies that have taken place in these acts of violence, and it is becoming clear that there are criminals bent on causing mayhem,” he said.
Ogbeh said that some of the criminals might not be herdsmen per se but people who had taken to violence as a way of life.
The minister said that while the security agencies were already dealing with the problem, the Federal Government was fashioning lasting solution to it.
Ogbeh said that contrary to insinuations in the public domain, the herdsmen/farmers’ clashes were neither ethnic nor religious in nature.
He said that the problem was as a result of years of neglect of livestock development in the country.
The meeting is ongoing behind closed-door sessions, at the end of which a communique is expected.
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