From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
In the past few weeks, banditry, typified by sudden invasion of communities and bloody attacks on innocent persons by suspected herdsmen, have resumed in Benue State, with scores of people already killed. Saturday Sun spoke to some of the residents who shared their views on the matter.
Tribalism affecting us in Benue – Jonathan Tyonongo, politician, farmer.
The problem is tribalism and it is affecting us in Benue. The Fulani herdsmen are chasing us in Benue State and the governor is complaining about it. But the president, knowing that the Fulani are his tribe and are doing something wrong, he is supposed to send the security agents to stop them but he didn’t because they are his tribe and he still supports them. Benue people don’t have security, because our governor is complaining about the killings,
Even our brothers that will want to do something bad, they will come in the name of Fulani, so Fulani is our problem. For us in Logo LGA of Benue State, we need the president to send security to Jootar, Iorza and Chembe communities of Ukemberagya/Tswarev council ward because we are on fire due to what is happening in our area.
Another problem we have is the politicians. They over politicise everything.
Killings politically motivated – Aondongu Saaku, leader, farmers’ group
The reason is political; the killings are politically motivated by some people. And on the side of the herders, they are seeing that power is changing hands and the new power may even accommodate them, so they are trying to show who they are. I want to also say that our indigenous boys are not exempted from this. We are having these crises because some of them are misbehaving, some of them are rustling animals. It is political because some people think they will do something that will affect the outgoing governor and give his administration a bad name. But we are on top of the situation. This issue can be curbed as soon as the government at the centre gives genuine directive. I am telling you frankly as a father, that if the President had wanted, the problem would have finished within 30 minutes. But it is there because they have an agenda and that is what they are pursuing, if not, the crisis is not too much. When has he made a categorical statement on the ranching issue? He has not since inception. Even when the Benue people visited him, he said they should go back and learn to live with their neighbours. Were we not living with our neighbours from time immemorial before he became president? So when such comments come, you know that there is little complicity over the matter.
Killings by herdsmen in Benue have become a pattern – Bemgba Iortyom, politician and farmer.
The renewed spate of killings of innocent Benue people by suspected Fulani herdsmen could be attributed to what has become a pattern of the attacks occurring at the commencement of the planting season and at the harvest season every year over the last decade. The difference this time is the intensity of the attacks and the fact that the herdsmen have come back with large herds of their cattle, a trend not seen since the commencement of the enforcement of the Prohibition of Open Grazing and Ranches Establishment Law in 2017.
There is also the factor of the current spate of the attacks coinciding with the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state at the last elections, with the herdsmen themselves celebrating that victory and giving the impression it comes with the promise of their regaining the freedom to graze their livestock freely in the state as was the practice previously. Fulani herdsmen through their umbrella bodies have been celebrating the victory of APC in Benue and insinuating the existence of a pact entered into with the party to have the ban on open grazing in the state lifted for them to move about freely, and this may well explain the current wave of attacks by the herdsmen and the influx into the state of large herds of their cattle with them.
As a way of curbing the ongoing menace, Governor Samuel Ortom on Tuesday, at an emergency State Security Council meeting, had issued an order for the herdsmen to withdraw their livestock from the geographical boundaries of Benue State within two weeks or face the consequences of such flouting of the anti-open grazing law, which is still in effect in the state. In good faith, the governor has also directed that the livestock guards suspend their operations for the duration of the two weeks to allow the herdsmen evacuate their cattle from the state, and this is a show of goodwill on the part of the government of the state towards the herdsmen which should not be taken for granted.
I don’t know where these new attacks are coming from – James Ornguga, politician.
The attacks have been there but now I cannot tell exactly what is responsible for it. Because, we had less of the attacks before the election time. And then shortly after the elections, the attacks resumed. I don’t know from which angle it is coming from but I have always emphasised that this matter needs to be traced to its roots. I have always maintained that we look at the matter holistically by securing our borders so we will understand where the attackers are coming from. That will clearly give us an insight into how to tackle it. For now I can’t tell and I wouldn’t want to take it to the political angle like people are doing. To me it doesn’t make sense.
But the Federal Government should be more serious in attempt to curb the crisis. I remember when Operation Whirl Stroke was launched, security agents on ground were ready to combat the herdsmen. We had very minimal attacks at that time until the attacks started resuming again. If you look at Mgban in Guma LGA where people were attacked last week Friday, you will see military, police checkpoints around. So one will keep imagining how the herders will come and attack in such places with security around and without any resistance. It calls for serious concern and I think that going forward, security agents should be more serious with the fight. And above all, let our borders into the state, both land and water, be secured and then it will be easy for us to avert such attacks.
