The Agatu Youth Development Initiative (AYDI) has raised the alarm over what it described as a calculated effort by criminal elements to sabotage the fragile peace process in Agatu Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State following the recent killing of a herder and the rustling of over 210 cows.
The group condemned the attackers as enemies of Agatu, insisting they did not have the stainless and pure blood of Agatu running in their veins.
The group stressed that the violence was being orchestrated by crisis merchants who thrive on chaos and disruption, warning that if not urgently addressed, Agatu could relapse into the dark days of relentless killings and reprisals.
While commending the LGA Chairman, Hon. Melvin Ejeh, for his sustained peace efforts since assuming office, as well as the Fulani community for maintaining calm amid provocations, the group urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious individuals or activities to the appropriate authorities.
In a statement on Sunday, AYDI’s National President, Ngbede Edoh, and Woman Leader, Rose Onuminya, revealed that their investigations identified the perpetrators as sponsored criminal elements seeking to disrupt the peace Agatu has enjoyed since Hon. Ejeh assumed office in October 2024.
They emphasized that the peace process led by Ejeh was the product of extensive Town Hall engagements across Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, and Plateau States, which had produced tangible results.
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“Our people undertook to be good hosts, hospitable and accommodating,” the group said, adding that “herders and settlers agreed to respect the laws, tradition, and custom of their host communities.”
In response to the latest attacks, AYDI urged locals to report suspicious persons and movements and avoid taking the law into their own hands.
It called on the residents to expose suspicious movements in the community and maintain vigilance against those attempting to incite violence.
“Beneficiaries of acts of wickedness and crimes are those that originate them,” the group warned, stressing the urgency of a collective stand against violence.
To the Fulani community affected by the violence, the group appealed for calm, assuring them that justice would be served through legitimate channels.
“We express implicit confidence in the leadership of the council chairman and security agencies to go all-out in getting justice,” the statement read.
AYDI also revealed that compensation had been paid for previous incidents involving grazing on farms, presenting this as evidence of the council’s commitment to peaceful coexistence.
The group commended the efforts of the Commander and troops of Operation Whirl Stroke, the DSS, police, and other security agencies for maintaining relative peace in Agatu, urging them to sustain the operational momentum against troublemakers.
The youth group encouraged the people of Agatu to support these security operatives with kind words and messages of goodwill, stating that such gestures would boost their morale while spurring them to double down on their aggressive disposition.
AYDI further advised the chairman to remain resolute, stating, “Evil thrives where good men either give up efforts or do nothing at all.”
It called on authorities to engage youths in peace-building forums and consider rehabilitation for those involved in violence, warning that without such interventions, “the ugly development could degenerate into a precarious situation.”
