Again, suspected herdsmen kill 15 in Benue

ABOUT 15 people have been killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen in fresh atta troubled Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.

The suspected herdsmen, who were said to have appeared in military uniform, invaded six communities in Saghev council ward of the council between Friday and the early hours of  Saturday, leading to the death of about 15 people.

The Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Mr Terver Akase, however, said that 10 corpses had so far been recovered.

The natives, who spoke with Sunday Tribune, said the invaders attacked the six communities were include; Tse Abi, Tse Ginde, Tse Peviv, Tse Ikyo, Agenke and Gbenke.

“These people, who came in tens, wore military uniform which earlier gave us the confidence to move around, only for them to start shooting at people and at the same time, burning houses. This made people to scamper for safety.”

“We noticed their arrival on Friday evening  and the attack continued till the early hours of this morning [Saturday].

“Twelve corpses had been recovered as at this (Saturday) afternoon,” one of the natives said.

“As I am talking to you, [around 2.04pm], gunshots still rend the air, while several houses have been burnt down.”

While confirming the attack on the communities, the chief press secretary to the governor, Akase, in a statement said, “I can confirm that Fulani herdsmen last night (Friday) and earlier today (Saturday) invaded Saghev Ward of Guma Local Government Area, Benue State and killed many innocent persons.

“The attacked communities are Tse-Abi, Tse-Ginde, Tse-Peviv, Tse-Ikyo, Agenke and Gbenke.

“Ten corpses have so far been recovered with many others injured. The armed herdsmen also burnt numerous houses, shops and other property in the area.

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“This mindless attack was unprovoked, and we urge security agencies to arrest the herdsmen behind the killings for prosecution,” said Akase.

But the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Moses Yamu said he was yet to receive such report and asked to be given time to find out the situation of things from the council’s DPO.

In a related development, Ron/Kulere ulere Community of Bokkos Local Government area of Plateau State has raised the alarm over the activities of herdsmen in the area, saying they have so far  destroyed 1,017 houses and vast farmland, and forced the locals to abandon at least 12 kilometres of landspace.

The spokesman of the community, Makut Macham, who stated this while addressing newsmen in Jos, said with the  advent of the rainy season, the people of the local government were afraid of accessing their farms for fear of being attacked by the herdsmen.

Macham urged government to deploy more security personnel to the area to enable his people go back to their farms and  called for the establishment of state police, which, he said, would enhance the existing security architecture in the area.

To address the frequent clashes between the framers and Fulani herdsmen, the group called for the adaption of livestock alimentation practice as a panacea to the clashes causing insecurity in the country.

According to him, livestock alimentation practice involves a system of keeping animals within a confined space and providing them with adequate nutritional care without  having to expose them to open grazing in the countryside for pasture.