Cephas Iorhemen …Says attacks taken a toll on farmers who are food producers
At least 147 people have been reported killed in the three senatorial districts of Benue State by suspected armed Fulani terrorists, the President General of the State’s socio-cultural organizations in the state, the Mzough U Tiv (MUT) CP Iorbee Ihagh has revealed.
Chief Ihagh who disclosed this in a statement in Makurdi, the state capital noted that the unprovoked attacks by the armed herdsmen have especially taken a toll on the peasant farmers who are the main producers of food that has been the main sustenance of the food needs in the state and indeed the nation at large.
The ethnic leader said most of the statistics of the deaths available to the organization are those reported and pockets of others not reported cases.
He said, “From the data available to us, the state may have lost about 147 persons to herdsmen militia attacks in the last two months. The number of deaths at our disposal are reported cases, but we strongly believe that the number of deaths could be more, because one or two persons may have been killed elsewhere that may not have been reported.
“For want of space, we may not be able to give you a detailed account of names as communities where these killings occured in the last two months. However, will give you the number of recorded deaths based on the three senatorial zones.
“During the period under review, the death of 70 persons were recorded in Zone A; a breakdown of the figures shows that 20 deaths were purely from attacks by herdsmen, while the remaining 45 killings occured with militia groups in connivance with herdsmen militia.
“In Zone B, about 10 persons were killed in Gwer West and 17 others in Gwer East, bringing the total to about 27 persons who lost their lives to attacks by the bandits, whereas in Zone C, no fewer than 50 persons were killed by these elements.
“In other scenarios, we have witnessed where these elements are conniving with the natives of communities and causing mayhem. A recent case study is the collaboration of between some of these bandits with a local militia group in Ukum Local Government Area, LGA of the State, where many lives were lost”.
Chief Ihagh regretted that killings have continued to fester when the rains are about to set in and farmers need to cultivate the land, and at a time when the nation is battling with the issue of food insecurity needs to be tackled with all sincerity and forcefully too; adding that the attacks and killings if not checked will adversely affect the farmers and subsequently their yield.
He said the flash points of these killings were last year and early this year in Makurdi and Guma LGAs, stressing that in the last two months, there has been a shift from these areas to Gwer East LGA where at least 20 people were reportedly killed even though pockets of killings are still going on in the aforementioned areas.
Chief Ihagh lamented that despite cries by individuals and groups over these killings, the matter has fallen on deaf ears, and has decided to take the cries to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to end this mindless massacre.
The MUT therefore called on the three State Governments of Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba States respectively to empower Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), the military spike operation in the three states to deliver on their mandate.
“We also call on the Federal Government to work out modalities at ensuring that Operation Whirl Stroke has enough manpower to handle the needs in its Joint Area of Operations (JAO), in view of the increase in activities of these herdsmen militia, which has hindered our people from going to the farms.
The organization commended the officers and me of Operation Whirl Stroke under the leadership of Major General Sunday Igbinomwanhia for their resilience so far, believing that given the needed manpower and empowerment by the three State Governors, they can produce more results.
The Mzough U Tiv also commended Governor Hyacinth Alia for his concern for the plight of the people maintaining that MUT would remain solidly behind him in his quest to rid the state of bandits by enforcing the state’s Open Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law, 2017.
