From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
The Benue State Commander of Livestock Guards, Linus Zaki, has vowed legal action against a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Garus Gololo, if he fails to retract allegations he levelled against him within seven days.
Gololo had alleged in a media publication that Zaki is an ex-convict who was jailed for life but ended up spending five years of his life sentence for committing murder.
The APC chieftain had also accused the Benue Livestock Commander of extorting money from herders.
But in a swift reaction, Zaki during a press briefing in Makurdi on Monday, who dispelled Gololo’s allegation, said he had never been to prison in his 38 years of existence.
‘I’ve never been involved in criminal activity, not to talk of going to prison. He mentioned Makurdi prison; they can go and find out from there,’ he said.
Zaki disclosed that he had already contacted his lawyer on the next line of action if Gololo does not retract his claim and apologize to him within seven days.
‘I am giving him seven days, if it is a mistake he should make sure he corrects it otherwise I will take him to court.’
Zaki, who maintained that he had never met face to face with Gololo nor even knows him, stated that he (Gololo) might have picked on him because he is the Commander of Livestock Guards in Benue.
He said Gololo, who had been standing against the enforcement of Prohibition of Open Grazing and Ranches Establishment Law 2017 of Benue State, may not be happy with his job of preventing open grazing by Fulani herdsmen.
‘Maybe Gololo is saying all this against me because of the work I do as livestock guard commander. But whatever it is, he must retract that falsehood, else, I will take him to court,’ Zaki said.