The unrestrained incursions of Fulani herdsmen into parts of Benue State of late, has left, in its trail, sorrow, and free flow of tears and blood in the affected communities.
Though the recurrent crisis dates back to over three decades, the recent bloodbath in parts of Agatu, Guma, Gwer West and Makurdi local government areas of the state has left a huge death toll in the communities which could be estimated at well over 450.
The besieged communities have also continued to count their losses in terms of destroyed farmlands, economic trees, houses, huts and farm produce.
From Obagaji to Naka, Guma to Makurdi, its tales of woes, destruction and decimation of families and their sources of livelihood.
Women, children and the elderly are not spared in the theater of war that has no respect for the sanctity of human life.
People fleeing their ancestral homes
Investigations showed that the attackers, who engage mercenaries. invade Benue from neigbouring Nasarawa state from where they strike their targets in guerrilla style and beat a retreat to their safe haven.
The attacks have led to the emergence of refugee camps at Daudu, Oshigbudu, Obagaji and Omola in Kogi State.
Bothered by the carnage, Benue State government and it’s counterpart in Nasarawa, only recently, convened a peace meeting in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, where a truce was called and a peace treaty signed by the state governors.
That particular peace meeting came on the heels of similar peace meeting at Yelwata where the feuding parties agreed to sheath their sword.
Despite these efforts, the crisis seemed to have defied truce. The crisis took a frightening dimension when, penultimate Saturday, over 36 persons were killed by suspected herdsmen who overran seven villages in Agatu local government area of Benue State.
The latest attack came two days after some assailants struck Ikpele and Okpopolo communities in the same Agatu, killing seven persons and displacing over 6,000 farmers.
Reacting to the penultimate Saturday incident, a native of one of the attacked communities, who preferred anonymity, tearfully told Sunday Vanguard: “They (Fulanis) took us unawares, they invaded our villages from Loco in Nasarawa State and Omola local government area of Kogi State.
“But as I speak to you, well over 36 persons have been killed on our own side while many are missing; the situation on ground is horrible; women, children and the elderly have all fled the communities to safety.”
When contacted, the Benue State Commissioner for Works and Transport, John Ngbede, an indegene of the area, confirmed the attack which came barely 24 hours after he decried persistent bloodbath in his community.
Ngbede said, “Apart from killing unarmed farmers, the invaders also engaged in the burning down of houses, farmlands and economic trees; the truth is that the unrestrained incursions is taking its toll on our people.”
In his reaction, member representing Agatu constituency at the Benue State House of Assembly, Sule Audu, said seven villages had been sacked while many had been killed and several persons missing.
According to him, the villages affected in the latest attack include Ello, Okpagabi, Ogwule-Ankpa, Ogbangede, Ekwo, Enogaje and Okpanchenyi.
While lamenting the lack of adequate security presence in the communities, the lawmaker said, “Only few soldiers are on ground who don’t even have mobility to match the strength of the invaders. The herdsmen come in large numbers, sometimes they are over 5, 000, spreading across all the communities and unleashing terror on my people without resistance.
“We hear that their next target is Oshugbudu. You can imagine what less than 40 soldiers on ground can do to stop armed invaders numbering up to 5,000”.
In his reaction, however, the Benue Secretary of Myetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), an umbrella body of Fulani herdsmen in the state, Alhaji Garus Gololo, debunked the claim that the invaders were members of his group.
Gololo said that since a reconciliation committee was set up by the Ochi’ Idoma to broker peace between the herders and Agatu natives, there had never been a reason for them to fight.
He said, “I don’t know which people are attacking Agatu in recent times. We don’t have any Fulani person currently residing in the area and, as I have said earlier, we need peace, so it couldn’t have been my people”.
In his reaction, Chief Daniel Abomste, the paramount ruler of Tyoshin kingdom, an area bordering Agatu, said, “The solution to these senseless killings is for government to create grazing routes for herdsmen in this country.
“It is only when that is done that the herdsmen, who now move around with sophisticated weapons, will be confined to a particular area for grazing, but, if that is not done, we might not see an end to this unimaginable carnage in our hinterlands.”
Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, a deputy superintendent, Daniel Ezeala, confirmed that there was escalated fighting in Agatu.
He, however, assured that a combined team of the police and army had been drafted to the flash points.