NIGERIA: Over 100 Killed In Fresh Attack By Suspected Herders In Benue State

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria 

At least 100 people, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), women, and children, have been confirmed dead following a renewed attack by suspected herdsmen on Yelewata, a border community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.

The attack, which occurred around 2:00 a.m. on Saturday during a heavy downpour, left scores injured, and properties destroyed.

it was gathered that among the casualties are at least two security operatives. The attackers were said to have overwhelmed local resistance, shooting indiscriminately, and setting homes and stalls ablaze.

Benue State Deputy Governor Sam Ode, who visited the scene on Saturday, broke down in tears upon seeing the mass of corpses. He described the killings as “barbaric.”

Joseph Har, Special Adviser on Security and Internal Affairs to Governor Hyacinth Alia, said: “We are aware of the ugly incident that happened in the early hours of today, and we are investigating the killing of more than 100 people. We have recovered 102 bodies.”

However, Tersoo Kula, the governor’s spokesman, gave a different figure, stating “no fewer than 45 people have been confirmed killed.”

Chairman of Guma LGA, Maurice Orwough, also confirmed the incident, saying over 26 persons were hospitalised.

He said: “Many people were killed. Over one hundred of the herdsmen opened fire on the people.”

Community leader and former acting Chairman of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mr. Matthew Mnyan, narrated the ordeal: “The policemen and young people who were there tried to engage them. Suddenly, another group came from the Eastern part of the community, and they overwhelmed those trying to resist them.

“They killed our people, poured petrol on the stalls in the market and burnt them.

“In those stalls, we had people who moved from places like Branch Udei and people displaced from nearby villages, who slept in them because of the proximity of the police and soldiers there.

“And we learnt no soldier came out to defend the people.

“As of now, from the names they are putting together and the number of families and people that were burnt and killed are running to over 200.”

He added, “We had a family of 15, some families of 12, men with their two wives, children, and every one of them burnt. It is a terrible sight.”

Police spokesman in Benue, ASP Edet Edeme, confirmed the incident but did not give a casualty figure. He said the Commissioner of Police had deployed a tactical squad to the area.

“The Police and Tactical Teams posted to the town and reinforcement responded swiftly to the attack and engaged the attackers in a fierce exchange, and some of the attackers were killed in the process,” Edeme said. “But it is with great sadness that we report that some individuals lost their lives and others sustained injuries.”

President of the Association of United Farmers Benue Valley (AUFBV), Chief Dennis Gbongbon, blamed the attack on Lakurawa bandits.

“Eighty-five per cent of the victims are IDPs who ran from Antsa, Dooka, Kadarko, and Giza areas, and took refuge in various stores in Yelewata market and among residents,” he said. “Even having run from sacked homes to IDPs camp, terror still followed them unabated.”

Simultaneously, another attempted attack in nearby Daudu town was reportedly repelled by security personnel and local youths, with unconfirmed reports of casualties among the defenders. Mnyan said over 300 terrorists had been spotted camping near Daudu prior to the attacks.

Civil rights activist Paul Omale has called on the Federal Government to deploy more troops to Benue.

“The lives of farmers who are at the receiving end of the attacks must be protected,” he said.

Local farmer James Ukeyima said the violence has crippled farming activities. “The sustained attacks on farmers have depleted Benue as the food basket of the nation,” he said.

Meanwhile, President of the Apa Legacy Sustainability Initiative, Dr. David Olofu has urged the Federal Government to construct a highway along the River Benue corridor from Lokoja to Taraba to check rising insecurity.

“These criminal elements take advantage of the vulnerability of the spaces as their habitat where they hide to carry out their nefarious activities,” Olofu said. “If we have good roads, our military and security agencies can easily and swiftly rush to rescue our communities if they are timely informed about any attack.”

He described the recurrent killings as “an epidemic” and advised communities to form vigilante groups. He also made cash donations to victims during his visit to affected areas in Apa LGA.

In a controversial twist, Governor Hyacinth Alia accused unnamed politicians and National Assembly members of fuelling the violence. “Some politicians who are very functional and are in the National Assembly, and are in Abuja, are the architects and arrowheads of not just instigating but harbouring and keeping these people; keeping them in the bushes and taking care of all their bills and buying all the gadgets for them,” he alleged.

He further accused the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, of silence over the attacks. The Office of the SGF swiftly denied the allegations.

The Benue State National Assembly Caucus also dismissed the governor’s claims as “baseless, reckless and irresponsible,” according to Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Patrick Moro.