AT least 50 communities spread across 25 council wards in five local government areas in Benue State have been lost to herdsmen.
According to data released by the State Emergency and Management Agency (SEMA), the worst hit is in Gwer West Local Government Area where all the 15 council wards had at one time or other been affected.
The council wards in Gwer West LGA are Sengev, Gbaange/Tongov, Saav, Mbapupuu/Tswarev, Mbabuande Kyaav, Mbapa and Tsambe/Mbesev, Sengev/Yengev, Merkyegh, Nyamshi, Tijime Tyough Ater and Njaha.
SEMA released the data a few days before the renewed attacks in Ukum, Logo, Otukpo and Gwer East LGAs.
Information officer of SEMA, Terna Ager, in the report entitled “Displaced Communities In Benue State Where Fulanis Have Settled With Their Cows” and made available to Sunday Tribune, the affected local governments are Guma, Gwer East, Gwer West, Kwande and Makurdi.
In Guma LGA, some communities in six council wards which include Mbadwem, Nyiev Mbaba Uvir and Mbayer/Yandev have been lost to the marauding herders.
In Gwer East LGA, the SEMA spokesperson said that Mbalom council ward has also suffered displacement of its residents.
The report also showed that at least two communities in Mbalagh and one in Bar Council wards in Makurdi, the state capital, have been lost to the invaders.
Further information indicated that Moon and Anwase council wards in Kwande LGA had lost few communities to the rampaging, marauding herders.
“There are many more, but these are the ones I can lay my hands on for now,” the SEMA information officer noted.
Lamenting the devastating effects of marauding herders, leader of the three socio-cultural groups in the state, Mdzou U Tiv, Ochi’Kidoma and Omi’Ngede, a retired Comptroller of Prison, Iorbee Ihagh, who hails from Moon council ward in Kwande LGA, said that the whole communities in the council ward had for many years been deserted following the incessant attacks in the area.
According to Ihagh, who doubles as president general of Mdzou U Tiv worldwide, all public institutions, such as market, health care centres and schools, had been destroyed.
Ihagh reiterated the call on the federal government to declare state of emergency on insecurity in the state.
Sunday Tribune reliably gathered that residents of the sacked communities are taking refuge in all the 13 official internally displaced persons camps across the state while many others are putting up with their relatives.
It will be noted that some of the IDPs have been languishing in camps for the past eight years with no hope in sight as to when they will return to their ancestral homes.
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