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Tag: herdsmen

  • Abia says ‘No’ to cattle colony in the state

    Abia says ‘No’ to cattle colony in the state

    Abia State Government said that the state would not be ceding any part of the 17 local government areas for the establishment of ‘cattle colonies’ for the purpose of rearing cattle or grazing by Fulani herdsmen.

    In a release signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of the state, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, Mr. Enyinnaya Appolos stated that Abia State would not cede any part of her territory to Fulani herdsman as colony for cattle.

    According to Governor Ikpeazu the available land in the state would not be enough to accommodate the agricultural plans of the state government, stressing that the available land would not be enough for the agrarian communities in the state to effectively carry out their agricultural activities.

    Ikpeazu maintained that leasing out the land may cause unrest in the state beyond what his government could handle.

    Part of the release read “We reject any plan to establish cattle colonies for herdsmen in Abia State.

    “We don’t have enough land for our agricultural activities and our people want more land. Giving away any part of Abia land as a colony to herdsmen, wherever they may be from, will be most unjust and unfair treatment to Abia State and her people who are largely farmers.

    “Such alien land occupation will also cause unrest and crisis that may grow beyond what we can handle when it happens, so the best thing I think we should do is to reject such plans so that those behind it will know that Abia State is not party to it.”

  • Fear of killer herdsmen rules Taraba communities after murder of 55 residents

    Fear of killer herdsmen rules Taraba communities after murder of 55 residents

    Penultimate Friday, Clement, 53, went to the farm with his brother and two children. They left the farm at 5:36 pm and returned home to shower, enjoy their dinner and await what the next day would bring. Clement’s wife, Din, who had brought food and water for them on the farm earlier in the day, was supposed to be cooking in the kitchen by the time they returned. Other family members were also supposed to welcome them and help to take their tools inside. That, however, was not to be.

    On arriving home, the Clements saw something strange.

    “What we saw was smoke billowing into the atmosphere. The kitchen had been razed. My house was burnt down. My bed and other pricey items, including foodstuff, were brought out and destroyed. It was getting dark, and we were confused. I was heading into the compound when my brother halted me, saying don’t go, so we retreated,” Clement said.

    As Clement hid somewhere with the other people in his company, wondering what had gone wrong, they saw about eight Fulani men, wielding guns, cutlasses and knives and matching past without seeing Clement and others in his company.

    “They were speaking Fulfude. You know Fulfude (Fulani language) is like a lingual franca here. We all speak it. Another one, very tall and lanky, passed. Then another set of over 50, and then another set of three who started coming to where we were hiding. We stopped breathing, but they continued to head in our direction. My younger son got up and started shouting and running,” said Clement.

    He recalled that as his son ran, the invaders began to chase him. “I wanted to go after them, but my brother held me back,” he said.

    As Clement recalled the ugly experience, tears started to roll down his cheeks. He said the bodies of his son and those of two other relatives were recovered two days later, having been killed by Fulani herdsmen. But he did not see his wife, who he said, was still missing.

    David Jonathan, a cleric, also lost a relative. In an emotion-laden voice, he said: “We don’t deserve this, because we didn’t provoke anyone.”

    In Taraba State, there have been blood and tears as a result of the activities of killer herdsmen. Many victims lamented their ordeal when reporters visited Lau Local Government Area in company with Bala Dan Abu, a media assistant to Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku.

    No fewer than 55 persons were reckoned to have been killed by Fulani herdsmen who deployed sophisticated guns and poisoned knives to carry out a mass killing described by many as “genocide”.

    Twenty-five bodies were recovered and given mass burial on Wednesday when policemen and soldiers cordoned off the area as the burial was hurriedly done by angry youths amid fear of the attackers coming for them. Unlike in Benue, the mass burials, in different locations, were very shallow, without caskets. The people used hoes and shovels to dig the graves.

    Those buried included children, women and elderly persons. The bodies were recovered from burnt houses, bush paths and farmlands. Sources said that some of the victims tried to escape from the marauders, but were hacked down by another set of herdsmen who ambushed them in large numbers.

    About 200 homes and huge piles of foodstuff were destroyed. Many people were confirmed missing in the attacks which began last weekend in Donada settlement, home to Fulani, Yangdan, Bachama and some Mumuye speaking people.

    It was a frightening sight when newsmen visited the affected areas: Donada, Katibu Kasua, Mako, Lavaro, Jambutu and Yusa, among other villages. All the villages were deserted and had become like ghost towns. Policemen and soldiers were on patrol.

    The bereaved spoke of their harrowing experiences when reporters visited the camps of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). It was heart-rending listening to them.

    Taraba State Commissioner of Police, David Akinremi, on Tuesday visited the affected areas to see things for himself, although he made no arrest. The police chief said: “The attackers came from neighbouring Adamawa State, where they are already at war with the Bachama ethnic group.”

    Commander of the 23 Brigade Command, Yola, Brigadier Gen. B.A. Mohammed, also visited the affected areas. He made three arrests and handed over the suspects to the Taraba State Commissioner of Police. It was not clear why they were arrested.

    The Commanding Officer of the 20 Battalion in Serti, Gashaka Local Government Area, Lt. Col. A. Abdullahi, also visited the killing fields. The officers appeared to be in a hurry.

    Two camps have been opened in Abari and at a primary school in Agwam Kasa, Jalingo, where those who survived the herdsmen’s bullets are taking refuge.

    Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, condemned the killings. “Herdsmen are killing people in Lau,” Governor Ishaku told The Nation on telephone. He attributed killings by Fulani herdsmen in some parts of the country, to a “drive for territorial control”.

    Ishaku, who blamed the elite for masterminding the violence for their political and economic interests, urged Nigerians to pray for the country.

    Although, Police Spokesman David Misal said there was tranquility in the area, it was an uneasy calm, The Nation learnt. There has been mass exodus of the natives who are fleeing to Jalingo and other safer areas. The fear of killer-Fulani herdsmen is everywhere in Taraba State. Many, particularly rural farmers, have fallen to the bullets of the Fulani herdsmen in Bali, Ibi, Takum, Gashaka and Gassol local government areas of the state.

  • Not time for bickering

    Not time for bickering

    Two governors of neighbouring states, both elected on the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), have different ideas of the cause, and thus solution to the herdsmen crises ravaging various parts of the country. Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State and Tanko Al Makura of Nasarawa State are at war over the location of the killer herdsmen who have invaded and murdered many farmers and innocent residents of Benue State. Ortom accused the neighbouring Nasarawa of harbouring and, perhaps, supporting the herdsmen who allegedly strike from Tonga and recoil there to avoid being apprehended by the security forces. But, Al Makura has expressed angst that his colleague could make an allegation he regarded as wild. The Nasarawa State governor explained that he was so concerned about the crisis that he had to cut short his vacation to lend a helping hand. He said many of the displaced Benue residents have been accommodated in the same Awe Local Government that Ortom claimed hosts the murderers.

    The tango is uncalled for. The two gentlemen are supposed to share and compare notes with a view to finding a lasting solution to what has become a major plague. If Gov. Ortom could be running to Abuja so frequently to seek support and solution to the crisis, it is surprising that he never considered visiting neighbouring states with a view to finding and tackling the problem at its root. What would Gov. Al Makura gain by being a source of Benue’s pain? Why would the [people of Nasarawa be allies of the marauding herdsmen who are not doing the same in their own state?

    We understand the pressure under which Governor Ortom is operating and the likely consequences. However, it is the mark of leadership that a man weighs his words and actions because of the likely effects. Utterances have been known to set communities and countries ablaze. At this point what Benue needs are friends, not enemies. If Gov. Al Makura were to react to the allegations by his Benue counterpart, he would send the displaced persons back to their state of origin and that would not only deepen the woes of the people, but is capable of exacerbating the crisis.

    We are surprised that the security forces are yet to get to the root of a crisis that has festered for so long. Had the Police and the Department of State Services responded promptly and professionally to the crisis when it began, there would have been no controversy over the location of the purveyors of death and their modes of operation. The Federal Government should be reminded again that the primary purpose of governance is two-fold -security of lives and property and welfare of the citizens. Any government that fails in these respects does not deserve the support and respect of the people. So far, government agencies have failed the Benue people and, by extension Taraba and other states. It was this failure that led to the promulgation of the anti-open grazing law and increased tension between farmers and the herdsmen.

    What has the government done to rein in and bring the murderers to book? What, too, has been done to ensure that the herdsmen have access year-round to water and grazing for their livestock? Do we have a virile policy that would promote livestock farming in the most conducive environment? It is unfortunate that the President had to wait for the sacrifice of about 73 lives in the latest round of butchery before he realised the need to dispatch the Inspector General of Police to the State, and send the Interior Minister to assess the situation. Mr. President should realise that the whole country is his constituency and injury to one is injury to all. He has to learn to respond more swiftly to crisis. It is his predilection for slow reaction that has given rise to allegations that he supports crimes committed by the Fulani. Indeed, this is a wakeup call to him and his government.

  • Tackling the horror of herdsmen

    SIR: The sudden escalation in the clash between the herdsmen (who actually are terrorists in another form) and the farmers seems to have finally caused national attention to be given to the problem. Various solutions are being proffered. Some have suggested the establishment of cattle colonies. Some have called for the establishment of cattle ranches. The security symptoms are being tackled by the ordered relocation of the Inspector General of Police to Benue, the theatre of the latest madness. What bothers me now is the complete absence of focus on the underlining factors exacerbating this national tragedy.

    The quest for dominance and territorial conquest is definitely one of the factors and it may in fact be the ethno-religious dimension of the crisis. The far more fundamental factors are population explosion and climate change. Between the northern and southern Nigeria, there is a clear cultural difference in their respective attitude to population. Whereas in the southern Nigeria, there is a feeling of absurdity or a sense of bewilderment towards a man who claims to have 10, 15 children in this day and time, in the north, it seems it is still fashionable or common place to hear of men with 20, 30, 40 and even more children. I read of the case of a man with over 60 children!

    There is a minimum amount of space required by every individual to maintain a minimum level of comfort for their wellbeing. That space includes space for agriculture, for leisure, for green vegetation for climatic comfort. Uncontrolled population leads to environmental degradation and the subsequent loss of nature.

    A twin factor of course is the continually encroaching desert from the North. Grazing pastures are fast disappearing in the north. All one has to do is to compare the aerial map across Nigeria in the 1960s and today and it becomes easy to see the vast difference in the vegetation density especially in the north. Human pressure on vegetation arising from farming and habitation needs is also very significant. Unfortunately, no government has taken concrete steps in real terms to replace what is being destroyed as far as vegetation is concerned.

    Before long, this problem of reckless defoliation will not be limited to the north alone. In fact, it is well into the south. Tree canopies are fast disappearing and forests are becoming grasslands. With herdsmen now bent on bringing their animals southwards, it is not only agriculture that will suffer; the entire vegetation and the associated human comfort will vanish just like that, UNLESS:

    We need to begin very seriously a programme of taking control of our environment and managing it effectively. We need to plant trees and other vegetation in a deliberate, concerted effort. If we don’t do this, we will be consumed in no time. Every government at federal, state and local government must plant a minimum number of trees during its tenure as its contribution to rejuvenating the environment.

    Not too long ago, a part of the California State in the US was destroyed by fire that raged for a long time, substantially destroying the vegetation. Last week when the rain came to that State, it came with huge mud slides that destroyed a lot of property and many lives were lost. The mud slide may not have come if the vegetation had not been destroyed. In Nigeria, we are challenged by flood and erosion at every raining season. We remember what happened in Benue, Edo, Oyo, Kaduna, Borno and several other states in the last raining season. When the trees and other vegetation are destroyed, if rain comes, it is usually with unbearable fury and destruction. We must now begin to focus on effective management of our environment to avoid further disaster.

    Of course, we must begin also to focus on population management. We were 55 million at independence and up to the republican year 1963. Today it is said that we are about 190 million. There is a projection that by 2050, we will be close to 400 million. If by then we are still one country, herdsmen/farmers crisis, Boko Haram, regional militants, ethnic militias, all these will be child’s play to the challenges we will face then. I have no doubt in my mind that we will actually be confronted with real anarchy that in any event, will brutally bring the population under control if we fail to do so in a rational, scientific manner. We need to bring our population under control. What more does a man with children of both genders want again?

    These are the long-term challenges that confront us and the earlier we sit tight to address them, the safer we will be in the long run. Time does not seen to be on our side.

     

    • Otunba Ben Oguntuase,

    Lagos.

  • Benue: A ‘Satanic’ Affliction Upon A Race

    Benue: A ‘Satanic’ Affliction Upon A Race

    BY Audu Entonu

    Certainly, these are not the best of times for Benue people. There is pain, sorrow and lamentations on the land.  A land once purified by the blessings and peace of our ancestors has become a killing field. The bloodbath is abhorring and the cries so loud and trenchant. Everybody is feeling the pains now, especially, in Tiv land and indeed, all Benue.

    Unfortunately though, those who are indifferent, hardened and unsympathetic to the mood in the land are Benue’s political leaders cum gladiators’, led by the Executive Governor of Benue state,  Hon. Samuel Ortom and  his clique of power mongers. They are unperturbed and undaunted by preserving invented schemes that have made people of the state permanent guests in the kingdom of sorrows. Insofar as it service their personal political interests and lubricates a repulsive ego of triumphalism on the political turf, all is fair.

    So, they are mindless and irreligiously non-challant   to these afflictions,  the unconscionable pursuit of power has wrought on the people with the harvest of tears. Religion is key to our lives as Africans. But most times, we use it in negation in the quest for power.  It keeps reminding me very sadly about the days preceding the ascension of  Ortom  to the seat of Governor of Benue.

    He wielded and flaunted assorted platitudes ensconced in very touchy Biblical verses. He spoke of visions and revelations from God Almighty about crowning him Governor of the state in his life. He covenanted with the people, through God that he would rule the state with the fear of God.

    He wailed on the streets and in every community at campaign fora;  he cried loudly while standing on the sacred altars of God in churches, reeling  out tons of afflictions of his people, whom  God has promised to mandate him with power to remedy.

    However, if all prophecies as proclaimed by Governor Ortom were false, cooked or contrived, at least, the rough guess of enthroning him Governor of the state has come to pass. Ortom has been Governor of Benue state for nearly three years today.

    But I am baffled and nervous that the Governor has not solved even one of the afflictions of his people, which he claimed, God ordained him to resolve.  And he does not appear worried at this glaring violation of the covenant with his people or how his actions offend God and the multifaceted failures of his administration.

    At best, Governor Ortom has overlooked these afflictions; aggravated the severity of some of them and created fresh ones with killer venom and devastations. Peace has deserted the land he holds sway as Governor.

    Alien afflictions of the people have reached frightening new fathoms and what we hear at organized and partisan fora is the necessity of Governor Ortom continuing in office.  He bought this idea from day-one in office. So, he has unceasingly sold the seed of discord, violence and bloodbath to impoverish the people economically and psychologically with infinite sorrows. This is practiced ploy to divert attention from his concealed, but deviously explored plots to perpetuate himself in power.

    Its common psychology that when you destabilize and devastate a people,  with killings or deaths, they have no time to think about politics. They are plunged in an endless orgy of mourning and bemoaning of their beloved lost ones.

    And so, the “smart” politician like Ortom would seize the opportunity to bandy another round of dubious prophecies alleging it emanated from God to stealthily grab the mandate again.  To him, the sacred name of God Almighty is an effective tranquilizer on the people,   to blend and raise a political platform of deception of people.

    This has been the brief history of Governor Ortom’s political sojourn in Benue state.  And it is easy to decipher from the outset when he ventured into the governorship race in 2015. The manner of his rejection and eventually ouster through a failed nomination as flagbearer of the PDP, his original political party on which platform he contested governorship was a key eye opener to Benue people. But they ignored the signs of God directly speaking to them.

    Governor Ortom dissatisfied and irretrievable bent on actualizing a satanic ambition to rule Benue, defected overnight. And in less than 24 hours, the equally cursed political goons of Benue; souls who drink and eat from the same shrine of darkness like Ortom handed him the APC party nomination ticket on a platter of gold.  His new handlers subdued and undermined all other viable contestants to embrace Governor Ortom.

    The manner of this emergence was very ungodly. And God  exposed  Ortom  to emerge the  APC governorship flagbearer through this style  to allow the people sense the evil of tomorrow. But once again, Benue the people took no special notice by faulting this process and rejecting him at the polls.

    They overwhelmingly voted him at the polls and consciously planted a King  Pharaoh to rule over them. At daybreak, the people realized the terrible mistake and attempted to fight back to reclaim their mandate.  But the dark forces again prevailed with interventions and eventually a court verdict foisted Governor Ortom on Benue with a legal seal.

    And it did not take long before the people started harvesting the results of their tenacious disobedience to God’s command and signs. Therefore, Ortom has manifested everything God only in words; but everything Lucifer in actions in the administration of the state.   What we harvest in Benue under Governor Ortom is endless bloodbath, massacres,   sorrow and pains in varied and sophisticated forms.

    I know Ortom’s supporters are likely to still insist that God anointed him King over Benue. But truly God Almighty, we ask you in tears rhetorically and in humble supplications’ that if Ortom was Your true messenger, why had he to cheat or apply criminal schemes to ascend to power in 2015?  Now, we are saddled with afflictions!

    Oh God Almighty, when will these afflictions end in our land?  Have we wronged or hurt You so deeply that you cannot forgive us?  Why are You still consenting to the afflictions Governor Ortom has imposed on Benue people?

    Today, Oh Lord our God, hundreds of your children starve to bed; their children cannot go school; we cannot afford medical bills for common ailments such as malaria fever and people are dying quietly because of sufferings. And life is generally, very bleak and meaningless to us because the man, who claimed You anointed him Governor has deliberately refused to pay our salaries.

    Oh Lord, it is a Biblical injunction You handed down to us through the Prophets that a labourer deserves his wages. In Benue under Governor Ortom, we labour day and night, but he does not consider us worthy of our wages.

    As if these afflictions to Benue people, akin to what King Pharaoh did to the people of Israel in Egypt are not enough, Governor has persistently increased this yoke of burden on us. The Governor arms our youths against the visitors in our midst.  His armament of the Livestock Guards and Civilian JTF, which he sustains with monthly stipends, is worrisome. It  is just a decoy to blur suspicion, by  getting  these idle youths infused and familiarized with remote communities in order to use them for the 2019 elections.

    Again, like civil servants, he has refused to pay them the paltry N15,000 monthly stipends for months. And an armed hungry youth is like a lion and a potential risk  to his community and sponsors. So, they probably,  went berserk, instigating the killings which have become another dark chapter in our beleaguered history.

    Least, I be misconstrued! The killing of Tiv peasant farmers by herdsmen is condemnable and unacceptable. No sane society can condone such acts of aberrations’. Again, no amount of provocation is enough to justify the crude and gruesome termination of the life of a neighbor or any other human being. It offends both religious and secular laws.

    But the snag in the whole absurd drama is the determination of Governor Ortom to blur the truth; to lie to the people of Benue and to mortgage his conscience for political expediency in his satanic lust for political power. He turns around to shed crocodile tears, boasting of dying for his people. These are all fake posturings to curry undeserved sympathy from Benue people still ignorant of the intricacies of the grand designs  behind the scenes.   Or ask me,  did  Governor Ortom ever weep when the same youths he armed differently used the weapons to wipe out his personal aides and notable indigenes of the state from Benue Northeast, to Benue North West and Benue South? What has he done to curb recurrence?

    We shall be fooling ourselves, if we seem to perceive the current crisis; the killings, the tensions and other acts of lawlessness entrenched in the state, without rumination on these deep insights.  Governor Ortom is not new to public administration, having started as a council chairman. He is so versed in governance and security protocols to have armed any militia for a genuine purpose, as law enforcers, without the consent, collaboration and guidance of the appropriate security authorities.

    The result is what we regrettably have today on our hands- the senseless bloodletting. Let Governor Ortom be bold enough to tell Benue the truth and confess his sins against the people, as propelled by weird political ambitions.

    Entonu is a retired staff of the Nigerian Railway Corporation.

    He sent in  this piece from Otukpo, Benue State.

  • Why herdsmen are killing our people, by governor

    Why herdsmen are killing our people, by governor

    Killer-herdsmen have extended their bloody campaign to Taraba State, killing 55 people in Lau Local Government Area.

    About 200 homes and huge piles of foodstuff were destroyed. Many people are missing in the attacks, which  began last weekend.

    Twenty-five bodies were recovered and given a mass burial on Tuesday when reporters and Bala Dan Abu, a media assistant to Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku, visited the area.

    Policemen and soldiers cordoned off the area as the burial was hurriedly done by angry youths amid fear of the attackers coming for them.

    “You know, I don’t like witnessing a funeral; what more, a mass burial like this,” Bala said, fighting back tears.

    The affected area was deserted like a ghost town. Policemen and soldiers were on patrol.

    Those buried were mostly children, women and elderly persons. Most of the bodies were recovered from burnt houses, bush paths and farmlands. The bodies had swollen.

    Sources said some of the victims tried to escape from the marauders, but were hacked down by another set of herdsmen who ambushed them in large numbers.

    The invaders used mostly “sophisticated guns and poisoned knives” to carry out the massacre, described by many as “genocide”.

    Those who survived the herdsmen’s bullets are taking refuge in Abari, a settlement.

    The bereaved spoke of their harrowing experiences when reporters visited the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

    “Herdsmen are killing people in Lau,” Governor Darius Ishaku told The Nation on telephone on Tuesday night.

    Ishaku attributed killings by Fulani herdsmen in some parts of the country, to a “drive for territorial control”.

    He blamed the elite for masterminding the violence for their political and economic interests. He urged Nigerians to pray for the country.

    Taraba State Police Command confirmed the killings. Spokesman David Misal said the situation was calm yesterday.

    Misal, who had earlier reported the casualty figures as 12 when the attack began, said “enough security personnel have been deployed in the area”. What we are doing now is to build confidence in the people.”

    The Lau incident is the latest act of unprovoked aggression against communities in Taraba State by Fulani herdsmen.

    On his facebook page yesterday, Dan Abu posted a lamentation:

    He said: “Tears flowed freely on Tuesday in several communities in Lau, Taraba State, as youths in the area buried 25 corpses of their parents and children murdered last weekend by Fulani herdsmen who invaded their villages.

    “Most of those killed were women, children and the aged who could not escape the gun and knife wielding herdsmen who invaded their communities at about 3pm on Friday, January 5.

    “At least 25 corpses recovered from burnt houses, bush paths and nearby farms where the victims tried to hide from the killer Fulani herdsmen were buried on Tuesday.

    “A combined team of armed soldiers and police men provided them security cover to enable them complete the funeral rites.

    “Many of the youths spoke of their missing relations, burnt houses, farms, food items and other valuables as they sobbed profusely while talking to a group of jourlaists that visited them in Abari where most of those who survived the attacks escaped to.

    “The Lau attack is the latest act of unprovoked aggression against communities in Taraba State by Fulani herdsmen. No fewer than 55 lives were lost, according to the accounts of the villagers while over 200 houses were burnt.”

    Taraba State Commissioner of Police, David Akinremi, on Tuesday visited the affected area to see things for himself. Although no arrest were made. The police chief said “the attackers came from neighbouring Adamawa State, where they are already at war with the Bachama ethnic group.”

    Some victims lamented their ordeals to this medium. David Jonathan, a cleric from Katebu tribe, in an emotion-laden voice, said “we don’t deserve this, because we didn’t provoke anyone.”

  • Suspected herdsmen injure cattle dealer

    Suspected herdsmen injure cattle dealer

    •Attackers demand N30m ransom

    Suspected herdsmen have injured the Vice Chairman of Arewa Community in Akoko-Edo Local Government of Edo State, Alhaji Hassan Usman. The victim suffered head injuries.

    Usman was said to have been lured into the bush by the suspected herdsmen to buy cows and was attacked with a machete.

    The Nation learnt that his attackers used his phone to call contacts, demanding N30 million ransom.

    The attack occurred one week after suspected herdsmen chopped off the limb of Mr. Arowolo Jerome, a farmer at Ojah in Akoko-Edo Council.

    Usman is a cattle retailer, who goes into the forest to buy cattle from breeders and sell to consumers.

    The Chairman of Arewa Community in the locality, Muhammed Umar Dankuruku, said the machete cuts affected the brain of Usman, adding that he would undergo surgery.

    He said the victim is unconscious.

    Dankuruku said the assailants have been using the victim’s phone to call his contacts, demanding ransom.

    He added: “They said he is in their custody. Hassan Usman buys cows from Fulani people. He was in the market on Igarra market day. Two of the Fulani came to call him that they have cows to sell in the bush.

    “On getting to the bush, they told him to bring money and he said he doesn’t have money. They pounced on him and attacked him with a machete. They snatched his phone and called us that they have kidnapped him (Usman).

    “They called Audu, his younger brother. He asked them where they were, they told him they were not ready to tell him where they were.

    “About three hours later, another Fulani man returning from the bush said he saw Usman writhing in pains. He came to call us. We went to the bush and took Usman to a hospital in Igarra. We thereafter moved him to a hospital in Auchi. The doctor told us that the attack had affected his brain. We have reported the incident to the police.”

    The command spokesman, Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the incident.

    He said: “We are investigating the matter.”

     

  • Ebonyi to commence registration of herdsmen

    Ebonyi to commence registration of herdsmen

    In a bid to forestall herdsmen attacks which have claimed hundreds of lives across the country in recent times, Ebonyi state government on Wednesday said it will soon start registration of all herdsmen operating in the State from next week so as identify genuine cattle rearers from the violent ones.

    This is even as the State Executive Council has approved the sum of N29 million worth of relief materials for victims of herdsmen attack in Benue and Taraba States.

    The state governor, David Umahi made the stated this on Wednesday during the first State Executive Council meeting held at the Executive Council Chambers Government House Abakaliki the capital city.

    According to him, Government would convoke a meeting with Herdsmen, Traditional Rulers, Security Agencies among others to brainstorm on ways to avert any crisis that may erupt between farmers and Fulani herdsmen operating in the State.

    The governor said, “On Monday we would hold a meeting with herdsmen, traditional Rulers and the Security Agencies, we have to register all the herdsmen in the State to fish out genuine ones, our people are not happy with the level of destruction of our farmlands.

    “During the meeting, we will agree on why the State Government would provide boreholes to the herdsmen for their cattle, they abandon it and resort to destruction of farmlands at Ezillo and Izzi communities of the State”

    “The cattle ate up the rice farms, we would not take laws into our hands, trouble herdsmen would be registered, we would do a serious meeting with herdsmen in the State,” the Governor reiterated.

    Umahi frowned at a situation where herdsmen blocked his convoy on his way to the village stating “imagine where a Governor is travelling to his village and is being stopped by cattle, this is unacceptable,” he said

    “We condemn the killings in Benue and Taraba States, we urge the Federal Government to fish out the Killers of innocent lives, we commend President Buhari for tracking the militants that massacred the people in River State,” he said.

    Meanwhile, Mr Umahi has warned that any Executive Council member that has not added to the economy of the State would not continue with the administration.

    “By March 2018, any Executive Council member that has not added to the economy of the State will not continue with us, if you know that you wake up in the morning and you think of nothing, you have to start thinking of another Political Party to join,” he said.

    “Leadership is about courage, not every member of the State Executive Council believes in the mission of this administration, some people are making a Political calculation on our Executive Council Members,” he reiterated.

    The Governor announced that by August 2018, the administration would be able to complete all on-going projects embarked upon since the Government since assuming the mantle of leadership,”

    He opined: “It is only when that is done, we come out to tell the people that we are ready for politics, we are looking at the National Level, nobody will be making political calculations without Ebonyi State,” he reiterated.

  • ‘Killings still going on in Benue’

    ‘Killings still going on in Benue’

    A group, Community Development Coalition (CDC), has raised the alarm that Fulani herdsmen are still carrying out killings in Guma and Logo local government areas of Benue State.

    The atrocities, they said were occurring despite the deployment of police operatives and the relocation of the Inspector-General of Police, Idris Ibrahim, to the state.

    The CDC Convener, Prof. Yima Sen, told journalists at a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday, that he had visited the affected communities and was informed that the violent attacks by the herdsmen had not abated.

    Sen expressed dissatisfaction with the security situation, noting that the security forces on the ground have been unable to stop the bloodshed across the state.

    “I left the crisis area about 5 hours ago and from my consultations with the people, killings are still going on; am not satisfied, if I tell you that am satisfied with the security situation, I would be lying. I have also consulted with the people and they are not satisfied with the situation,” he stated.

    The CDC vowed to do all that is legally and humanly possible to ensure the full implementation of the Benue state anti-open grazing prohibition law.

    It said it would also facilitate “the emergence of a robust, reliable and sustainable community-driven defence and security system.”

    The group rejected the proposed cattle colonies for herdsmen by the Federal Government, insisting that no inch of Benue land would be given out to the herdsmen.

    Sen said, “We can’t be colonized by the Fulanis, they can ranch, but if anyone is talking about cattle colonies, they should find another location, not Benue.”

    He highlighted the benefits of ranching, which he said would increase productivity and guarantee safety of the animals and the herdsmen, describing it as a civilized way of keeping livestock.

    The CDC Convener accused President Muhammadu Buhari of turning a blind eye to the atrocities of the herdsmen.

    He said, “We are left with no option than to conclude that the President, who by the way, is the grand patron of Miyetti Allah, has turned a blind eye and is bent on keeping deaf ears, to these atrocities, or that he is actively involved in this diabolical and outrageous scheme.”

  • 55 feared killed by Fulani herdsmen in Taraba

    55 feared killed by Fulani herdsmen in Taraba

    Killer-Fulani herdsmen have extended their hostilities to Taraba State, killing 55 people in Lau local government area. At least two hundred homes, including food stuff, have been reportedly destroyed. Yet, some people are still missing.

    It was gathered that the invasion and attacks began at the weekend.

    25 bodies were recovered and given a mass burial on Tuesday when journalists and a media assistant to the governor, Bala Dan Abu, visited the affected area.

    The burial was done, hurriedly, by the youth, as policemen and soldiers cordoned the area. There were tears and anger, amid trepidation.

    Bala Dan Abu said he couldn’t fight back tears. “You know, I don’t like witnessing a funeral, what more, a mass burial like this,” he said.

    The affected area, deserted, looked like a ghost town. Policemen and soldiers were patrolling the area.

    Those buried were mostly children, women and aged-persons. Most of the corpses were recovered from burnt houses, bush paths and nearby farmlands. The corpses had swollen, fouling the air.

    Sources said some of the victims tried to escape from the marauders, but were hacked down by another set of herdsmen who ambushed them in large numbers.

    The invaders used mostly “sophisticated guns and poisoned knives” to carry out the massacre, described by many as “genocide.”

    Those who survived the herdsmen’s bullets are now taking refuge in a settlement called Abari. The bereaved lamented their deals and harrowing experiences when journalists visited the internally displaced persons (IDPs).

    “Herdsmen are killing people in Lau, my State,” Governor Darius Ishaku told The Nation on telephone Tuesday night.

    Ishaku had attributed the invasion, attacks and killings by Fulani herdsmen in some parts of the country, as a “drive for territorial control.” He blamed the elites for masterminding the violence for their political and economic interests. He asked Nigerians to pray for the country.

    The Taraba State Police Command yesterday confirmed the killings to our correspondent. Police spokesman, David Misal, said the situation is calm now.

    Misal, who earlier reported the casualty figures as 12, when the attack began, said “enough security personnel have been deployed to the area. What we are doing now is to build confidence in the people.”

    The attack and killings in Lau is the latest act of unprovoked aggression against communities in Taraba State by Fulani herdsmen.