Unending Killings in Middle Belt Challenge to National Food Security

The Middle Belt region of the country, comprising Benue, Plateau and Nasarawa states, among others, constitute the food basket of Nigeria, but lately due to series of unprovoked attacks by suspected Fulani herders from within and outside the country, desirous of grabbing land for their livestock herding, these states are seriously threatened. PATRICK OKOHUE takes a look at the danger posed by this development

Unending attacks

The unending killing across several states of the Middle Belt, designated as the food basket of the nation has been a source of concern to many well-meaning Nigerians, some of who have cried over the impending doom if the Federal Government continues its penchant of making promises to deal with the situation without being seen to really be doing much to address the unfolding dilemma of the region. Between last year ending and this New Year several communities in Plateau and Benue states, two of the key states that hold the ace to food sufficiency in the country have been attacked and displaced while hundreds of persons killed by suspected Fulani bandits, otherwise called herdsmen, who are bent on displacing the inhabitants and taking over their lands.

Mutfwang’s worry

Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang of Plateau State, who took over the mantle of leadership of the state on May 29, 2023, was welcomed to the seat of government with the killings of over 200 innocent citizens of Mangu Local Government Area following what has been described as a co-ordinated attacks by suspected Fulani bandits in which houses were burnt down in the affected communities and farmlands destroyed. Speaking on this development, the governor noted that it was the intervention of the Federal Government through the military, code named Operation Safe Haven, that restored normalcy to Mangu Local Government Area, before another well-coordinated Christmas Eve attack that killed over 200 innocent women and children in Bokkos Local Government Area of the state, took place.

It is also on record that from 1999, during the administration of former Governor Joshua Dariye to the present administration of Mutfwang, the state has witnessed devastating terrorist attacks in most of the local government areas, resulting in the killing of thousands of souls, destruction of property and farmlands. Another dimension is whenever the terrorists unleash their evil acts on a communities, they then occupy the villages by taking over control. Already there are records of grabbing of over 64 communities in Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Bokkos by the bandits as disclosed by the state governor recently. Lawmakers, traditional rulers, religious and community leaders have been victims of several attacks as witnessed in Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Bokkos amongst others. While narrating what is happening in the state, Mutfwang said that the attacks were not caused by religious acts or a clash between farmers and herders, but that they were simply pure acts of terrorism and gruesome murders.

The governor, who spoke with stakeholders from the state, comprising former governors, ministers, senators, and traditional and religious leaders, said what is happening in the state is purely about terrorist operation. Mutfwang said: “It’s been a great tragedy. What have we done to be able to get to this point before this current crisis? We resorted to both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies. For the non- kinetic, we got into a lot of community engagements trying to unravel remote and immediate causes of the crisis. We’ve been able to sit down with various levels, with the community leaders and that worked. “It worked to a large extent because they saw our sincerity. They saw our determination to change the narrative that we didn’t just come to have these discussions as usual, just for political correctness. We were able to get to some of the issues that affect the people.

“But I must say that this recent action has nothing to do with farmers-herders clash, it has nothing to do with religion, this is pure criminality, it is pure terrorism. This is just act of gruesome murder on the eve of a revered day of remembrance. It’s quite unfortunate, but we will continue these engagements and also explore other ways by which we can be able to bring the situation under control.” Mutfwang addressed the fact that the ‘terrorists’, as he called them, had been operating even before he was sworn in as governor, and steps had been taken to quell these attacks. “Before I was sworn in, these terrorists descended on Mangu Local Government Area, where I come from, which, hitherto, had been one of the most peaceful in the state. And continually did the local government and my deputy in Riyom, and off course, Barakin Ladi, Bokkos, worked assiduously.”

Addressing the seeming lack of security responses in the communities, the governor said, “I think the way these particular attacks were coordinated was meant to be on a monumental scale. At a point, we had distress calls from no less than 36 communities, and even though some of the reinforcements came a bit late, certainly, the responses were able to push back these terrorists, that is what we are having now, as bad as it is, we can even say it is damage limitation. “There are many reasons for the slow response of security agencies. Part is the channel of dissemination, part is the terrain from which these distress calls are coming, and sometimes, when you have achieved relative peace, it’s natural that you can relax.

And so, these terrorists look for ungoverned areas where the security deployment was a bit light or absent, and that was where they started these attacks from. And before we were able to get these reinforcements to the right places, a lot of damage had been done.

Killings in Benue

In Benue, the story is not different, this is be- cause under 48 hours in the first week of the New Year, gunmen suspected to be Fulani herders and militants from Jukun, allegedly invaded Arufu and Michia and killed 15 people in both communities. The state is becoming a “free killing field” as it was reported that no fewer than 92 residents were killed between April and June, 2023. It was learnt that the attacks are often attributed to armed herders, who have been terrorising the state and turning it into a haven for gunmen, as the violence has displaced thousands of people and destroyed property worth millions of naira. Those targeted during the attacks are mostly innocent citizens, which include; traditional rulers, women, children, security personnel, religious leaders and farmers.

However, on Sunday January 7, 2024, in a renewed attack, seven people were killed by gunmen in Logo Local Government Area of the state. The suspected armed herders were said to have attacked a commercial vehicle between Arufu and Chembe villages and shot at passengers. The attackers were later reported to have invaded Michia community in the night and killed another seven passengers. Several others were reported to have been missing during the invasion. According to a community leader, Anawah Joseph, the attackers laid ambush on the road and shot at a commercial vehicles. He said: “Armed herders in collaboration with Jukun militias on Sunday shot at a commercial vehicle heading to Iorza and some passengers were injured. “They also invaded Michia where they shot and killed eight people. It was an unfortunate incident.

The militants also slaughtered people who were fast asleep in their various houses in Michia. “I am appealing to the state government to come to our rescue, I don’t know what next to do again. I am tired of this senseless killing, destruction of property and vandalisation of farmlands. We want lasting peace in the state, we are all brothers and sisters. We don’t need the killing anymore.”

Incessant attacks, land grabbing

The attacks across the states of the region are not new and have been blamed in some quarters on the rising cost of basic food items like yam, potatoes, and tomatoes among others The incessant terrorists/bandit’s attacks, killings of innocent children, women and youths, including the burning of houses, foodstuffs and destruction of farms, which have persisted for over two decades, are purely aimed at taking over the farmlands of the natives as seen in Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Bokkos Local government areas of Plateau State. It is a known fact that Plateau State’s sad mo- ment which became worse in 2001 started as a religious crisis witnessed in Jos City and mostly local governments such as Shendam, Wase and Langtang during the administration of former Governor Dariye, and continued in 2008 during the regime of Senator Jonah Jang.

It later spiralled into a different direction in 2010 as pure bandit’s attacks and killings of innocent villagers while in their sleep and targeting children and women, as was witnessed in Dyemburuk (Dogo Nahawa) where over 500 persons were killed in midnight coordinated attacks. It would be recalled that on July 8, 2012, a serv- ing Senator, representing Plateau North, Senator Gyang Dantong, and Majority Leader of the Pla- teau State House of Assembly, Hon. Gyang Fulani, both lost their lives while attending a mass burial of innocent children and women killed during an attack in Mase Riyom, also in 2012. On July 4, 2018, in the Gashish District of Bar- kin Ladi Local Government, there was another attack and killing of mostly women, and children during the administration of former Governor Simon Bako Lalong, where over 400 persons lost their lives, property worth millions of naira and farmland destroyed.

Apart from that, there have been several bandits’ attacks in Yelwa Zankam Jos North Local Government as well as Kanam, Wase, Jos East and Bassa local government areas of the state, during the same Lalong administration in which thousands of human lives were lost. All these attacks were never farmers/herders’ clashes, but rather acts of terrorism and land grabbing, which prompted the administration of Lalong to enact a law against land grabbing as passed by the Ninth House of Assembly and signed into law by the governor.

Unchallenged attacks

As if the terror groups are trying to test the resolve of the new administration, on Saturday September 3, 2023, one Monday Hembaku of Chembe village was said to have been accosted and killed on his Cassava farm by suspected Fulani herdsmen. According to the chairman of one of the affected local government areas, Rev. Adagbe Jona- than, “Five days later on Friday September 29, 2023 at about 2pm, two women from the same village (Chembe), Mrs. Iember Ornguga and Dinnah Chembe, were hacked with machete and badly wounded by Fulani marauders when they went to fetch firewood. “They were rushed to a medical facility by men of Operation Wilds Stroke stationed at Arufu, a nearby settlement, where they are recuperating. Another attack also took place on Wednesday October 11, 2023 around 9am at Iorza along Tse Abiem Road, where two young men, Mr. Mbaadega Vihimga and Chuku Gaku, who went to buy fish at Zebo Market, near River Benue, were ambushed on their way back by Fulani militias, who inflicted them with various degrees of injuries.

“Also, three people were reported to have been killed by gunmen suspected to be armed herdsmen at Imatom village in Logo Local Government Area of the state.” A community leader, Anawa Joseph, said the killing of people in the local government area by suspected herders have assumed a dangerous dimension. Anawa gave the names of the latest victims of armed herdsmen to include; Tertsea Terkimbi Adagundu, Tertsea Mkposu and Mimidoo Umburga. He said: “These three young men were killed by Fulani militia at Imatom village square, near Chembe, Ukemberagya, Logo Local Government, Benue State on Saturday, at about 9pm. “Their corpses have been deposited at NKST Hospital morgue, Anyiin. “All these renewed attacks and killings with- out any provocation are aimed at displacing the peasant farmers in order to pave the way for cattle to graze on their crops which are yet to be harvested.”

The community leader, who chronicled the spate of renewed attacks by Fulani herdsmen on the people of Gaambe-Tiev in the local government area, since the beginning of September 2023, said the Saturday attack was the fourth. Anawa, however, called on both the state and Federal Government to as a matter of urgency deploy security personnel to secure the area.

27 killed in two communities

However, another 27 persons were also killed by armed gang in a bloody attack on Adogo Ugbaam, Akpuuna and Diom communities in Ukum Local Government Area of the state. The attack on July 7, 2023 also left several per- sons with life-threatening injuries. It was gathered that the armed men had at- tacked a funeral session at Adogo Ugbaam community, where they killed three mourners, just as another gang invaded Akpuuna and Diom communities, where 24 persons were murdered. According to a local source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the armed men, whose motive was not known, stormed the villages on motorbikes, killing the three mourners at Adogo Ugbaam village at about 9pm, after which they invaded Akpuuna and Diom, the following morning, when the local market in the area was busy with the day’s activities.

He said: “Nobody saw this coming; the armed men stormed Diom and Akpuuna on motorbikes at about 11am, when the local market in the community had picked up with activities after killing three mourners at Adogo Ugbaam village last night. “At Akpuuna and Diom they shot at anybody they saw, mercilessly killing the people in the market and in the two neighbouring villages. “There was pandemonium; people ran for their lives, but many could not escape. Apart from those killed, many are still missing; and from all indications that number will rise. After killing the people and injuring many, the armed men set fire on the people’s property and fled the scene. “As we speak, people are fleeing the attacked communities but the search for missing persons is still ongoing. It is a sad day for our people.” Confirming the development, the Chairman of Ukum LGA, Mr. Kartyo Tyoumbur, said information at his disposal indicated that 24 bodies had been recovered from the two attacked villages.

He said: “I learnt that after attacking Akpuna and Diom, the armed gang fled the scene, but on getting to the Tine-Nune community on the Zaki Biam-Wukari Road, they met the military, who confronted them. “Though no one knows how many of them were killed, but I believe some of them must have been neutralised in that exchange.” The Chairman, who decried the attack, said no one knew the motive of the attackers.

Jang and state police option

Former Governor of Plateau State, Senator David Jonah Jang while providing a solution to the incessant attacks, said the killings were getting out of hand and the state police option was viable in nipping these massacres in the bud. “The killings on the Plateau would seem to have gone on unabated as the non-arrest and prosecution of perpetrators have bolstered the serial killers to carry out more and more killings. Unfortunately, villagers in Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Riyom and Mangu LGAs have continued to bear the brunt of terrorists who seem to have sworn to dispossess them of their heritage at all costs. That these killers are out on a cleansing agenda and plan to take over the lands of the people they try to wipe out is no longer hidden. “As painful as these killings are, equally hard and painstaking efforts must be made to put an end to them to restore Plateau to its known peaceful atmosphere which made it home to many people, even in decades past.

“While we agree with the President that the culprits must be apprehended and made to face prosecution, we must note that these directives have been issued repeatedly, yet, neither arrests nor prosecutions have been made in the past. I ‘‘It is therefore pertinent that at this point, there is the need to attend to the call for state police as part of measures for boosting security, ensuring early response in crisis and confronting the challenges of insecurity headlong. “A situation where state governors have no powers to immediately deploy personnel to quell attacks and confront marauding terrorists is worrisome. “States should be given the power to create, train and equip their police to enable state governors to deal with peculiar security situations in their various states. More than ever, the time to heed the call for state policing is now. “The National Assembly must heed this call and rise to the occasion in the interest of the Plateau people and consider the issue as a matter of urgent importance.

FG, states should do more

Speaking further, the former governor noted that, “While we commend the efforts of the Federal and state governments in responding to the recent attacks, we reckon that more can be done to stop the seeming non-stop attacks and needless loss of the lives of innocent villagers who are murdered while in their sleep or as they struggle on their farms to make a living for themselves. “There is more that can be done, the endless killings are unacceptable, and our people must be allowed to stay in their homes, and continue to cultivate their farmlands without any intimidation or fear of unprovoked attacks which leaves them homeless or decapitated. “We join millions of Plateau people and our well-wishers in sending our heartfelt condolences to the families that have lost loved ones in the recent attacks. We are sore and grieved, but consoled that the blood of the innocent will not go unavenged, if not here, then in the hereafter. We call on the people to cooperate with the state government which has shown commitment to ensuring the safety of Plateau citizens.”

Elder statesmen against killings

Worried by the unending killings, leaders of thought, elder statesmen from four of the six geo- political zones of the country, under the aegis of Southern and Middle Leaders Forum (SMBLF), have written to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, asking him to nip in the bud the incessant killings and wanton destruction of lives and property in the Middle Belt. The leaders also described the killings as a threat to the corporate existence of the country, saying the buck stops at the President’s table to resolve the issue. This is just as the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has asked the President to deploy radical security and economic policies that would address the rising spate of insecurity across the federation. The letter by SMBLF, made available to journalists, was signed by the leader of SMBLF and South-South leader, Chief Edwin Clark; Chief Ayo Adebanjo, leader, Afenifere; Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, President-General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide; Dr. Pogu Bitrus, President, Middle Belt Forum; and Senator Emmanuel Ibok-Essien, National Chairman, Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF.

The letter reads: “The unrelenting massacre bordering on ethnic cleansing and armed occupation of the territories of the indigenous peoples of the Middle-Belt and most parts of Northern Nigeria by identified ethnic militias have shown without any doubt that the Nigerian state, its government, and security forces have continued to fail in the fundamental duty of the security and welfare of citizens as the primary purpose of government as stated in Section 14(b) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. “Former President Muhammadu Buhari deliberately handicapped himself by a deceitful mindset that people of the North-West were of the same tribes and religion and wondered why they were fighting among themselves.

Battle for North West

“The truth, however, is that the North-West geopolitical zone is most diverse in ethnic content and the war therein is orchestrated by the desire for new territorial spaces for the Fulani both within and outside Nigeria against the other ethnic nationalities especially the Hausa majority which has for ages been falsely touted as being indistinguishable from the Fulani. “Mr. President, unfortunately, and as it was with the Buhari administration, rather than accept the reality of the danger posed to the corporate existence of the federation by an extra-territorial agenda of the Fulani ethnic nationality, backed by organised and well-armed militias, which was, since 2018, declared by Amnesty International as the ‘4th most deadly terrorist organisation in the world’, your administration has also, now, in bad faith, dressed this evil in the false garb of ‘herders/farmers’ clash’, and the blood-thirsty ethnic militias as mere bandits.

“It is a conflict where one side, fully armed, continues to attack and kill the innocent, who are being deliberately defanged by agents of the government. “SMBLF holds as indisputably self-evident that all ethnic nationalities were and have settled in their portions of Nigeria before the amalga- mation and establishment of Nigeria in 1914, and thus, the current rabid territorial ambition and quest for the alteration of the demographic structures of the federation will lead to chaos and internecine wars, the end of which may be the dismemberment of the fragile Nigerian federation. “Mr. President, your predecessor had all the facts and evidence of an ideological Fulanisation agenda, but preferred to pander and prevaricate than bring justice to the victims of oppression and genocide.

“In light of the foregoing, the SMBLF, moved by the patriotic desire for the corporate continuity of Nigeria and, the peaceful and mutually respectful coexistence of its diverse nationalities, strongly urges that you, Mr. President, consider the following: “Your government holds an honest and truthful security inquiry to determine communities wherein the original inhabitants have been displaced in the last 2 decades and enforce the immediate return and resettlement of the people in their ancestral homes. “Further to the above, the government should, in no distant future, close all IDP camps to end the shameful and sinful policy of building such refugee camps for the indigenous peoples, while their ancestral homes are allowed to be occupied by the armed invaders.

Security agents need special training to fight terrorists

“That the security agencies, including the police, the Civil Defence Corps, and others be specially trained and equipped to rise to the challenges as Nigeria is fast becoming a banana or pariah state of its kid-gloves treatment of terrorism. “That the Nigerian state which fought a tribal civil war to secure its corporate existence should not allow another internecine war of diverse tribes brought about by its permissive handling of provocative activities of local Fulani militias aided by collaborators from the West African sub-region and the Sahel. “The desire of the Fulani to be treated as an exclusive ‘race’ cannot be allowed to continue in a free and egalitarian nation. They should seek land for their trade in the same way other Nigerians buy and manage land and stop this sense of entitlement.”