Fear as herdsmen flee South East, invade Benue communities

Fulani herdsmen hitherto grazing within the South Japanese a part of Nigeria, have reportedly fled the zone and at the moment are settling in some communities in Ogbadibo, Okpokwu, Ado and different Native Authorities Areas of Benue State.

The invasion might not be unconnected to the present unrest within the Southeast birthed by the actions of the Japanese Safety Community, ESN which was established by the Indigenous Folks of Biafra, IPOB to cease the actions of herdsmen within the area.

The latest resolve by the Southern Governors who banned open grazing within the area might have additionally triggered the sudden relocation to neighbouring communities.

PRESS INFORMANT studies that the communities within the aforementioned Native Authorities Areas are neighbouring villages to some elements of Enugu and Ebonyi States.

Ogbadibo and elements of Okpokwu are bordered by Udenu Native Authorities of Enugu State whereas elements of Ado, significantly the Agila group is bordered by Ebele village, Ngbo in Ohaukwu Native Authorities Space of Ebonyi State.

Our correspondent gathered that the herders are at present settling in among the communities, triggering pressure within the areas.

An opinion chief and head of a group in Owukpa in Ogbadibo, Chief Akogwu Agada informed DAILY POST correspondent that some elements of the group have been occupied by the herdsmen.

“They’re in every single place right here in Owukpa however their main base is in Ankpa. They’ve clashed with our farmers a number of occasions because of the destruction of crops by their cattle.

“We might be glad if the federal government can come to our support to chase them out of our land earlier than they resort to attacking and killings us right here”, Chief Akogwu famous.

A member of the not too long ago disbanded vigilante group, Mr Apochi Adams who spoke with our correspondent from Ichama in Okpokwu Native Authorities, narrated the same incident.

In accordance with him, there is no such thing as a a part of the group that the herdsmen aren’t utilizing for grazing.

“We have now clashed with them a number of occasions attempting to ship them away from our land however they at all times resist”.

Equally, A farmer, Mr James Adoga who spoke with our correspondent from Orokamu in Ogbadibo, lamented how his casava plantation was destroyed by the herders who grazed on his farm.

Adoga revealed that the herders stormed the group not too long ago with their cattle, household and different property to settle in among the villages.

“We’re helpless on this place. Farming is the one enterprise we use to outlive and the Fulani males have come to destroy our solely supply of hope.

“After we see them on our land, and we complain, they threaten to kill us and as a result of information now we have been getting from far locations, now we have no braveness to confront them,” he acknowledged.

PRESS INFORMANT studies that the event is coming regardless of the efforts of the state authorities to implement the open grazing prohibition regulation throughout the 23 LGs of the state.

Recall that the state governor, Samuel Ortom in 2017 signed the Anti-Open Grazing payments into regulation as a measure to finish the incessant disaster between farmers and herdsmen.

Nevertheless, the herders who had been angered by the regulation, have continued to unleash terror on residents of communities in comparatively all elements of the state.

Just lately, there was a surge within the lethal assaults as many residents have been butchered whereas over a million others had been displaced throughout the three senatorial districts within the state.

PRESS INFORMANT recollects that armed males suspected to be Fulani militias, on Thursday evening killed 36 residents of Shikaan Mbagena Kpav group in Katsina-Ala Native Authorities Space of the state.

The armed males invaded the group and slaughtered scores at midnight when residents had been quick asleep. 36 our bodies had been recovered whereas an unspecified variety of individuals sustained varied levels of accidents.

Just lately, gunmen suspected to be herdsmen additionally attacked the Tse Amgbem group close to Aondoana in Gwer West Local Government Space of the State, killing 11 individuals as residents abandoned the group and elevated the variety of Internally Displaced Individuals camped throughout the state.

The Gwer West Native Authorities Chairman, Mrs Grace Igbabon who confirmed the incident to DAILY POST, lamented how his folks had been sacked from their ancestral houses by the militias.

Equally, just a few weeks in the past, about seven persons were confirmed dead, with many others injured, after armed Fulani herdsmen attacked Abagena community housing Internally Displaced Persons camp in Makurdi Local government Area of the State.

Subsequently, the youths, who had been angered by the killings, stormed the Makurdi-Lafia highway with the lifeless our bodies of the deceased to protest incessant assaults on their communities.

Reacting, the State Governor, Samuel Ortom in a press release, described the assault on the IDPs camp as inhuman, barbaric and unacceptable. The Governor referred to as on President Muhammadu Buhari to stay as much as his accountability of defending lives of Nigerians.

Identical week, greater than 17 individuals had been confirmed useless whereas many others injured after militia herdsmen attacked Tse-Ayeli village, Tse-Gborigyo and Udam in Mbayer-Yandev in Guma Native Authorities Space of the State.

Recall that on March 20, 2021, the governor narrowly escaped death when militia herdsmen launched an assault on his convoy whereas coming back from his farm at Tyo-mu alongside Makurdi – Gboko highway.

Efforts by PRESS INFORMANT correspondent to talk with Terver Akase, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor on the latest inflow of the Fulani herders in some elements of the state proved abortive as he was unable to take his calls and couldn’t reply to textual content messages forwarded to him.

Equally, when contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Catherine Anene Sewuese was unable to talk, however requested {that a} textual content message be despatched to her. She didn’t, nevertheless, reply to the textual content message forwarded to her.

Nevertheless, Ortom had just a few days in the past, informed residents of the state to defend themselves with Dane weapons and other weapons not prohibited by the regulation, when attacked by gunmen.

Ortom gave the directive at an inter-denominational church service held on the authorities home in Makurdi, Benue capital on Sunday, Could 23.

“I’ll not announce the deaths of those killed by Fulani herdsmen, rise and defend yourselves with weapons not prohibited by regulation, bows and arrows, spears and knives.

“Get a licence for Dane weapons from native authorities chairmen and use them to defend yourselves.

“God assured me a while again that so long as I lived inside the circle of his presence, no weapon normal in opposition to me shall prosper,” he mentioned.