The Nation Newspaper

Tag: herdsmen

  • Suspected herdsmen kill six soldiers in Taraba

    Suspected Fulani herdsmen yesterday killed six soldiers on patrol in Karimlamido Local Government Area, the home of Acting Governor Abubakar Sani Danladi.

    The killings took place between Amar and Kambari settlements, which share a boundary with Plateau State.

    It was learnt that the nine victims in the attacks were peace-keepers.

    The bodies of the slain soldiers were taken to the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre in Jalingo, the state capital.

    There was tension yesterday in the area when the news of the attack flittered to town.

    But three other soldiers on patrol with the deceased were declared missing.

    “They (the soldiers) were taken unawares, overpowered and killed. Of the nine soldiers, we don’t know the whereabouts of the other three. We pray they are alive,” said an eyewitness in the local government area.

    Police spokesman, Joseph Kwaji, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), declined comments on the incident.

    The spokesman said he was not obliged to speak for the army.

    Karimlamido Local Government Chairman Bobbo Bello Bendu confirmed the incident when our reporter spoke with him on telephone.

    The chairman said Fulani herdsmen had been on rampage in the area in the last few years.

    He said: “I have been reporting to the appropriate authority the security situation in my council, especially on the menace of Fulani herdsmen.”

    The local government chief said he was waiting for the authority to take appropriate action on the incident.

    He said many residents were fleeing the area for fear of a reprisal by the army.

    Bendu said: “We are in fear now because we suspect that soldiers may want to attack back.”

  • Herdsmen advised on peace

    In a bid to ensure violence-free elections in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) the Minister of the FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed has met the Ardos (Fulani chiefs) from the six area councils of the FCT.

    Senator Mohammed emphasised the need for stakeholders to ensure violence-free elections.

    The minister stressed that the FCT Administration would continue to protect all the residents of the FCT, including the Fulani herdsmen within the 8,000 square kilometers of the Territory; adding that Abuja belongs to all.

    In a statement issued by the Assistant Director/Chief Press Secretary to the FCT Minister, Muhammad Sule, the minister said: “My administration would continue to protect the lives and property of all the residents of the Federal Capital Territory including cattle rustling which is becoming a serious crime.”

    The minister further said Fulani herdsmen are known for their peaceful co-existence, urging them to continue along that line to ensure minimal friction between them and the host communities before, during and after the forthcoming general elections.

    He, however, reminded them that President Goodluck Jonathan has been nice to him and he is their brother; noting that they need to help him reciprocate by returning the President come March 28, 2015.

    The minister directed the chairmen of the area councils to consider putting some important Ardos in their jurisdictions on monthly salaries in order to give them a sense of belonging. He also urged them to set up a high-powered Task Force on crime and cattle rustling control to be chaired by the FCT Police Commissioner, Mr. Wilson Inalegwu.

    The new Task Force comprises the Director of the Directorate of State Security Services, Commandant, FCT NSCDC; representative of Commandant, Brigade of Guards; Special Adviser on Security to the FCT Minister, AMAC Chairman, Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister, Secretary of the FCT Area Council Secretariat, Special Assistant to the Minister on Political Matters, six Ardos representing the six area councils.

    Also speaking at the occasion, the FCT Police Commissioner, Mr. Inalegwu advised Fulani herdsmen to be careful and cautious in providing abode to their kith and kin coming in from other parts of the country.

    He gave the herdsmen a telephone hotline which they could call in times of distress.

    Responding, the National President of the Miyetti Allah, Alhaji Bello Abdullahi promised to mobilise his members to continue to support the FCT Minister, as well as President Jonathan.

    The FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr. John Chukwu, Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar Sadiq, Commandant, Brigade of Guards, the FCT Police Commissioner, Director of FCT DSS, Commandant of the NSCDC as well as the Special Adviser to the FCT Minister on Security attended the meeting.

  • Police arrest three herdsmen for ‘robbery’

    •Three robbery suspects arrested in Ogun 

    Three Fulani herdsmen have been arrested for alleged robbery in Sabo, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

    Haruna Ibrahim, Usman Burani and Haruna Usman were arrested in Sabo after they allegedly robbed residents of Atoba Estate in Sabo.

    The police alleged that the suspects were behind the attacks on commuters on Ayetoro Road in Yewa North and Igboora area.

    It was gathered that the residents of the estate had placed the herdsmen under surveillance. When they were sighted around the neighbourhood, the residents alerted the police.

    Police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi said community leaders in Atoba Estate contacted the Divisional Police Officer, Gbenga Megbope, at the Ilupeju-Sabo Police Division, who led a team of anti-robbery operatives to arrest the suspects.

    Adejobi said the herdsmen later led the police to their hideout in Igbo Olodumare forest on Igboora Road, where two others were apprehended.

    Items recovered from them included cartridges, cutlasses, charms and dummy guns, among others.

    Also, three robbery suspects were arrested in a joint security operation between policemen and soldiers (OP MESA) attached to the 35 Artillery Brigade, Abeokuta.

    Amuche Chukwuemeka(22), a graduate of the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Imo State; Blessing Edottie(26) from Bayelsa State and Santos Peter(25) from Delta State  allegedly snatched a Toyota Highlander at Festac Town, Lagos on February 4.

    Adejobi, in a statement, said the joint operations team seeing the suspicious movement of the suspects stopped their vehicle and upon interrogation, they were found to be fleeing.

    He said: “The suspects kidnapped the owner of the vehicle and dropped him on the road, having compelled him to deactivate the vehicle’s security device.

    “The vehicle was later demobilised and it stopped on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, prompting the suspects to hire the services of a technician to start the engine. They continued their escape movement, until they were intercepted and arrested.

    “The Acting Commissioner of Police, Haliru Gwandu, has instructed that the case should be transferred to the Lagos State Command, where the robbery took place.”

  • Women protesting alleged rape by herdsmen block highway

    Women protesting alleged rape by herdsmen block highway

    Worried by the increasing cases of rape of old women and girls by herdsmen in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, aggrieved women, most of them victims from Irete community, yesterday blocked the Owerri/Onitsha express way to protest the alleged indifference of the authorities to the plight of the women.

    The angry women called on the state government and security agencies to take immediate action that would put an end to the unwholesome practice. The spokesperson of the women, Lady Gloria Chukwumezie, noted that they were compelled to embark on the protest to register their anger and to seek an end to the dehumanizing act.

    She stated that several women from the community had been raped, manhandled and beaten up by the herdsmen while working in their farms, adding that a similar incident occurred few days ago when some women who went to their farmlands were severely raped by the same people.

    The protest, which started early in the morning, lasted for hours, resulted in heavy traffic gridlock. It took the efforts of armed policemen from the state police command disperse the women.

    The chairman of the transition committee of the local government area, Albert Okenwa, blamed the women for carrying out the protest against his instruction, stating that he had appealed to them not to embark on the protest. When contacted, the Police Public Relation Officer of the command, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, who confirmed the presence of armed policemen at the scene, said the policemen were drafted to stop the women from taking the laws into their hands.

  • Akwa Ibom communities beg Akpabio over Fulani herdsmen

    Akwa Ibom communities beg Akpabio over Fulani herdsmen

    Some communities near Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital,  have appealed to Governor Godswill Akpabio, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Samuel Ikon and the Commissioner of Police, Mr Gabriel Achong, to save them from Fulami herdsmen.

    They accused the herdsmen of destroying their farms.

    The communities also called on the House of Assembly to pass a law prohibiting Fulani herdsmen or any other person in the state from causing destruction to any other person’s legitimate business.

    The communities’ spokesman, Mr Andy Bassey Eyo, said the people of Ikot Abasi Idem, Ikot Eto and Ikot Ekwere are tired of suffering in silence from the activities of Fulani herdsmen.

    He said when confronted, the herdsmen usually tell them that the cows belong to ‘big politicians’ and ‘big people in government’, that they were only employees.

    Eyo said the contractor given the job to provide electricity in their communities abandoned it.

    He added that it is regrettable that Ikot Abasi Idem, which shares boundary with Shelter Afrique Extension, an estate where the high and mighty, has no access road. He appealed to Akpabio to rectify the situation.

  • Seminar seeks end to herdsmen-farmers’ clashes

    Seminar seeks end to herdsmen-farmers’ clashes

    With a view to stemming the recurring violence between the Fulani herdsmen and the farming communities in the Southeast, a security/sustainable development seminar has been organised in Enugu. The seminar was put together by the African Centre for Human Security, Peace and Sustainable Development (AFRISDEV) in collaboration with the Catholic Institute for Development, Peace and Justice (CIDJAP).

    The Fulani, led by Ado Saidu Baso, Bala Ardo and Yusuf Sambo turned out in their numbers. They were excited by the prospect of peace that would soon reign between the two parties. There were also pastoralists led by Chief R. C. Oguejiofor as well as resource persons from the ministries of Agriculture, Health and Judiciary.

    The theme of the seminar was “Fulani Herdsmen Versus Farming Communities: Seeking Peaceful Co-existence for Sustainable Development in the Southeast.”

    In his presentation, the Director of CIDJAP, Prof. (Msgr) Obiora Ike who was represented by Rev. Fr. Anthony Ezekwu said the seminar was timely “since it is like a ticking time bomb. Many lives of humans and cattle have been lost. Properties have been destroyed and a lot of harm done.”

    He said: “CIDJAP stands to promote the pastoral and social teachings of the Church, giving succour to the downtrodden, inculcating the spirit of hard work and dignity of labour, urging for peace in communities, dialogue, tolerance and freedom of existence,” adding that the “era of nomadic practices of roaming villages with cattle and sheep was over and must be approached differently.”

    He, nonetheless, stressed that the “Fulani are not Boko Haram. They are humans, friends and brothers. They need us and we need them.”

    Prof. Ike, who is also a member of the just-concluded National Conference, revealed that while deliberating on the issue of nomadic life, the confab resolved that “all herdsmen and cattle shall stay in identified ranches and grazing centres. They will stay where they are welcome. Their cattle shall receive scientific feeding and shall be well cared for as an agricultural project by either the state or the Federal Government.

    “Nomads shall be integrated into civilisation, shall be educated and receive better standards of life.”

    In his opening address the executive director of AFRISDEV, Dr. Ben Simon Okolo said the seminar was borne out of research and analysis of the security challenges in Nigeria, especially in the Southeast.

    “While the theme seems to centre on the Fulani herdsmen, it must be stated upfront that, the Fulani is not the only tribe that engage in nomadic pastoralism in Nigeria. In the Southeast for instance, we also have the Shuwa Arab as nomadic herdsmen. However, the vast majority of the populace does not know the difference between the Fulani and the Shuwa Arab, hence the “generic name Fulani.”

    “We equally recognise the existence of other security challenges, which we shall be addressing in forthcoming seminars. While the government has the primary responsibility of ensuring peace and security within the Nigerian state, it is equally our responsibility to contribute to our individual and collective security,” he said.

    According to Okolo, the media had been awash with news of pre-meditated and massive violent attacks by supposed herdsmen on host communities, particularly in the North Central geo-political zone.

    “While this has not been a main feature of interaction between the herdsmen and the host communities in the Southeast, there are very genuine concerns, especially with reported cases of skirmishes between the herdsmen and their host communities in the farming areas,” he said.

    Continuing, he said: “There is a school of thought that views the sudden rise of these attacks by the herdsmen on their host communities as a pre-meditated act targeted at the communities, with a more sinister intention than just, “quarrel over grazing land.

    “Some have, therefore, couched these attacks as part of an overall plan of terrorising the original inhabitants of the communities and dispossessing them of their lands. The recent decision by the National Economic Council (NEC) to establish “grazing reserves across Nigeria” seems to strengthen the above argument.

    “Some have even suggested that these attacks, especially given the nature of the sophisticated weaponry they employ, could be targeted at further destabilising the country politically.

    “Of major concern to the Southeast, and more particularly Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu states, is that they share borders with Benue and Kogi states, where such targeted attacks have been recorded. The continued violent attacks that have been ongoing, especially in Plateau and Benue states, and the audacious attack targeted against Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State, is a serious cause for concern. “Some have, therefore, advocated a complete expulsion of the herdsmen from the Southeast; a position that AFRSIDEV does not share, as this is not a constructive solution and cannot lead to sustainable development.

    “Sustainable development, however, cannot be achieved in a climate of fear and insecurity. No doubt, the Southeast needs the services of both the herdsmen and farmers to achieve sustainable growth in agriculture. This, therefore, calls for constructive acts towards building a peaceful co-existence between the herders and the farming/host communities in order to forestall such attacks that might envelope the Southeast.

    “This seminar will give rise to the development of well-thought out policy options for dealing with this salient security cum environmental challenge.”

    Contributing, the Director of Vetinary Services in the Enugu State Ministry of Agriculture revealed that the world over, the movement of pastoralists are controlled, adding that despite everything, the movement of the Fulani herdsman within Enugu State shall be controlled.

    “Before now, these herdsmen carry only sticks. But today, they carry Ak47 rifles. We believe these come from crisis-ridden neighbouring countries,” he said.

    Although the Fulani did not make any contribution, they were all satisfied with the conduct of the seminar. Bala Ardo, who is a graduate and holds a post-graduate diploma interpreted and explained the presentations to his kinsmen.

  • Assembly wades into herdsmen, farmers clash

    The Enugu State House of Assembly has initiated moves to end frequent violent clashes between herdsmen and farmers.

    The bill, entitled “A law to make provisions for the control of nomadic cattle rearing in Enugu State and other matters related thereto” is being sponsored by Hon. Chinedu Nwamba, representing Nsukka East Constituency.

    The lawmaker, in an interview with reporters, said the bill, when passed into law, would promote symbiotic relationship between the farmers and the herdsmen.

    Nwamba, who lamented several lives and properties that have been lost in different parts of the country owing to the clashes, urged other states to replicate the law.

    “The main reason for this bill is to ensure adequate peace between the two parties- farmers and herdsmen. Nobody in this country is ignorant of some violent clashes which have occurred as a result of disagreement between the farmers and the herdsmen.

    “We have cases where the herdsmen will allow their cattle to graze on farmlands, and when the farmers kill the cows in retaliation, the herdsmen will challenge the farmers.

    “So, it is my belief that when this bill is passed into law, it will end conflict and promote peace between these parties that need the services of each other.”

    The bill provides for the establishment of grazing areas in each of the three senatorial zones of Enugu State and the nomadic cattle rearers shall ensure that the cattle are confined within the grazing areas as provided.

    It further provided that “any person who permits cattle to graze in an area not designated as grazing area, shall be guilty of an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to six months imprisonment or a fine of N100,000 or both.

    “As from the commencement of this law, the commissioner shall appoint pound masters in all the local government areas whose functions shall include the impounding of cattle found grazing in non-designated grazing areas.

    “Cattle found grazing in an area not designated a grazing area shall be impounded by the pound master or any other person duly authorized by the commissioner.

    “Any cattle impounded under this law, which is not claimed within one week of the impounding, shall be sold in accordance with auction law; the proceeds of the sale shall be deposited in government coffers.”

    The bill, which was mentioned at the House Plenary Session, is expected to be debated later.

  • Herdsmen rue cows loss to rainstorm

    Herdsmen rue cows loss to rainstorm

    They waited for so long for the rainy season. When it eventually came, it was a source of misery to residents of Yobe State.

    Penultimate week, the rain was so heavy it turned tragic for some clustered Fulani communities. They lost thousands of their animals, especially cows, to the storm that preceded the rain.

    The average Fulani man could be sentimental about his herd, so much so that the loss of one demoralises him. Most times, a Fulani herdsman feels pain when he decides to sell a cow out of his flock, irrespective of the monetary gain.

    Many of them prefer tendering the cows and allowing them to increase in number to selling them, unless there is a compelling reason to do so.

    This apparently explains why Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, once said: “For the Fulani, cows are more than four-legged animals. For me, tending to cattle is a hobby and more.”

    Investigations revealed that many of the herdsmen are still brooding over the loss of their cows.

    Leaders of the Fulani under the aegis of the Miyatti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association told our correspondent that some of the herdsmen are unwell due to the huge loss they suffered as a result of the rain storm. The leaders were in Damaturu, Yobe State capital, to seek the state government’s assistance.

    It was gathered that the flock of many of them have depleted. For instance, it was revealed that one of them, Mallam Hassan Lamido Manu, lost 30 cows, 50 goats and 50 sheep to the storm.

    Another victim, Wakili Manu, lost 15 cows and 61 goats. The story of Dio Manu is another pathetic one as all his 33 cows were killed by the storm that night, while Haro Aridojo, a herdsman from Mungono Village in Tarmuwa Local Government Area, said 29 out of his 30 cattle died.

    To prevent total loss, some of the herdsmen decided to slaughter their cattle and sell them at give-away prices. It was gathered that a cow was sold for N5,000 as against the market price of more than N60, 000, while a goat was sold for N200 as against N10, 000.

    “I slaughtered them and brought them to Damaturu. We sold some of them at give-away prices of N1, 000 and N800. But the government cautioned the butchers not to buy,” Aridojo said.

    He further explained that over 30 trucks of the slaughtered cows were evacuated from his village to parts of Jos, Bauchi and Jigawa states, adding: “We had no option than to slaughter and sell them. This is because the cattle were starving even before the heavy rain hit them. They could no longer walk, and in few days, they would all die.”

    He emphasised that they had been in contact with leaders of Miyatti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association over the difficulty they were experiencing in feeding and watering the livestock, stressing that “they keep telling us that government is going to do something on it.”

    Lamido Manu, leader of the Fulani in GarinSaje Village said he lost over 50 farm animals in Jakusko/Nasri Grazing Reserve. He claimed that “butchers came and bought some of the slaughtered animals from Jakusko and Gashua. But, today if 40 butchers can come to my house, I will give them free cows because, they are decaying and nobody is coming to buy the beef.”

    He called on the state government to urgently intervene and save the poor herdsmen that rely solely on cows for their livelihood.

    Investigation revealed that most of the settlements around the area have relocated due to unpleasant odour from decomposing cows around the area.

    Yobe State Secretary of Miyatti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Khalil Muhammad Bello confirmed that the heavy down pour and strong wind affected many herds in Tarmuwa, Dapchi, Gujba, Jakusko  local government areas.

    He said the Association had submitted a request through the Ministry of Animals and Fisheries on issues concerning water and fodder for the livestock. He called on government to expedite its effort in assisting the breeders with enough fodder so that losses recorded would be minimised.

    Investigations revealed that N200m was budgeted for nomad in this year’s budget. The money aimed at providing water and animal feeds is yet to be accessed by the Ministry for Animals and Fisheries.

    Some Fulani settlements that were worst affected include Gadiram, Abbari, Daragi, Mongonu and NasriinTarmowa, Jakusko and Damaturu local government areas.

    Water, according to Lamido Dodele, is one of their major challenges in Ngasarga another settlement affected.

    He further said: “Our children travel for two days to get water for the cows and another two days to return. By the time they return, the cows are already exhausted. This is what we go through all year round. There is no water in our community. Animals don’t have food to eat. We spent a lot of money buying food for them.

    “Each bag of animal feed costs about N3, 400. In a month, some people will buy like 150 bags depending on the number of cows that they have. We appeal to government to come to our aid. Every year, we hear that government is buying grains and selling at subsidised rates. I think they can do same for us to reduce our sufferings.”

  • Groups support grazing reserves for Fulani herdsmen

    THE Catholic Institute for Development, Peace and Justice (CIDJAP) and African Centre for Human Security, Peace and Sustainable Development (AFRISDEV) have thrown their weight behind the calls for grazing reserves for nomadic Fulani herdsmen in the South East.

    They said this would checkmate the incessant bloody clashes between some farming communities in the Southeast and Fulani herdsmen.

    The reserve, according to them, will also minimise such conflicts in the zone.

    Ahead of the establishment of the reserve, the groups last weekend organised a security seminar  for the Fulani and the communities leaders in the state.

    The Director of CIDJAP, Prof. Monsignor Obiora Ike, stated that the seminar was timely because the bloody clashes have become a ticking time bomb.

    Ike, who was represented by Rev. Fr. Anthony Ezekwu, stressed that CIDJAP stands to promote the pastoral and social teachings of the Church, giving succour to the downtrodden including the spirit of work and dignity of labour.

    He urged for peace, dialogue, tolerance and freedom of existence in the communities.

    “Era of nomadic practices of roaming villages with cattle and sheep is over and must be approached differently.

    “Many lives of humans and cattle have been lost. Properties have been destroyed and a lot of harm done.

    “The Fulani are not Boko Haram. They are humans, friends and brothers. They need us and we need them,” he said.

    The Enugu State Commissioner for Agriculture, Engr. Mike Ene, regretted that out of 415 grazing reserves none exists in the South-East.

    The commissioner, who was represented by Dr. Onyeka Emmanuel, Director of Veterinary Services, recommended that every state in the zone should have at least one reserve through Public Private Partnership (PPP).

  • Food scarcity looms as herdsmen, farmers clash

    Food scarcity looms as herdsmen, farmers clash

    The bloodletting and violence to the environment are horrible enough. Now add to that a looming food shortage. The Fulani herdsmen clash with farmers has claimed many lives, wrecked homes and displaced hundreds of people in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba states. It has also wasted farmlands, crops and cattle, making food scarcity an imminent danger, except something is done urgently.

    In Benue State, the clashes started four years ago when herdsmen attacked Tiv farmers in Gwer West Local Government Area.

    Gradually, it spread to Makurdi and Guma local government areas.

    Now, the conflict has engulfed Logo Local Government Area, the country home of Governor Gabriel Suswam; Kwande , Katsina Ala and Gwer local government areas.

    This means the attacks have occurred   in all  the three senatorial zones in the state.

    In most of the cases, those at the receiving end of these crises have been Tiv farmers.

    Their crops, land, houses and yam seedlings have been  destroyed. That is not all. The invaders are also said to occupy the homes of their fleeing victims. In some cases, the invaders reportedly cook the locals’ abandoned raw food and settle down to meals. Thereafter, according to reports, the attackers sleep in their beds.

    The victims are helpless, many forced from their homes. The security agencies seem helpless.

    Over 200 people have been killed so far since the bloody crisis started. For more than four years, there is no school in the affected areas. Some local government councils like Agatu and Guma have been shut, while market activities are permanently closed.

    According to State Emergency management Agency(SEMA), over 800 internally displaced persons are in various camps, taking refuge in primary schools and uncompleted buildings.

    Recently, Fulani herdsmen and their militia shifted their attention to Tombo ward, near Anyiin.

    They started their operation in a farming community called Ayibe, then moved to Tse Dzungwe (home of our Benue correspondent), then on to Tse Ibwar and Tse Gbeleve where they killed residents and set the settlement ablaze.

    They continued their attack on Mbaya community in Adzegeh, Uzer up to Ayilamo, headquarters of Tombo ward.

    The attackers are said to favour sophisticated weapons in some caces, and it was even alleged that they used substances believed to be chemical weapons.

    The most disturbing part of the attacks is that the  invaders also set tubers of yam and yam seedlings ablaze,  including the planted crops.

    Where they find it difficult to destroy the crops, their cattle, with some reported assistance,  dig up and and eat the crops.

    The implication of the attacks is that there is a likelihood of a massive famine next year.

    The settlements destroyed are predominately peasant farmers and known for massive rice and yam production.

    That Benue state is referred to as the “Food Basket of the Nation”  is because of its massive food production.

    The state is also blessed with a rich soil that produces cash crops.  The state boasts two big rice mills.

    Miva Rice Mill, located in Makurdi, Benue Northwest senatorial district, is owned by former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minster of Justice, Chief Mike Aondoakaa, and Ashi Rice mill in Anyiin, in Benue Northeast managed by the Suswam family.

    The raw materials for Miva  rice mill, with a capacity to process 4.5 metric tonnes a year, is already threatened as most farmers are displaced from their homes, even as their crops are destroyed.

    Chief Mike Aondoakaa told The Nation that he has lost millions of naira to the Tiv-Fulani crisis.

    The paddy which is supposed to feed the rice mill  has been destroyed.

    “Our rice farmers are now taking refuge in various camps,”he said.

    Aondoakaa appealed to Benue state government and prominent people in the state to come to together and tackle the crisis so that displaced persons, who are mostly farmers, can return to their homes before the rains set in.

    He said there is a looming danger of famine if the farmers are allowed to remain in camp.

    Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Chief Samuel Ortom lost 25 hectares of rice farm to the Funani invaders who reportedly used their cattle to destroy the farm.

    He also had is 300 bags of rice and his houses destroyed in Guma Local Government Area of the state.

    Also, 500 tubers of yam, belonging to the Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties, Joseph Tsavsar, have been destroyed and his compound in Tse Gbeleve and Ayilamo set ablaze.

    Tsavsar told The Nation that the attack on Tiv farmers is more than just crisis between the nomads and farmers.

    Most of the settlements affected in the crisis are farming communities.

    For examaple, in Gwer West Local Government Area where the Fulani herdsmen have sacked about three wards, the people are massive rice producers in addition to other cash crops.

    In Guma Local Government Area, the farmers are known for soyabean, rice, millet and groundnut production

    In Tombo ward, Logo Local Government Area, the soil is good for yams, rice, corn, millet, fish, groundnut and sweet potatoes.

    But now that the farmers have become displaced, who will till the land?