Anti-open grazing law: Benue council raises alarm of looming invasion

AS the issue of anti-open grazing law rages in Benue State, chairman, Logo local government area of Benue State, Hon Richard Nyajo has raised the alarm of massive attack on the council by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Speaking with Tribune Online on Tuesday in Makurdi, Benue State capital the council boss said that the council had since last Thursday suffered serious attack by herdsmen leading to the attack of six settlement and death of one person.

He added that a middle aged woman was raped on Monday when they suspected herdsmen attacked Tsekaefir community and explained that five persons have been hospitalized at Ayilamo in the council area.

While stating that the herdsmen had formed a ring round the council area with the intention to unleash terror on the council, the council boss.

The council boss said that the suspected herdsmen had relocated to coastal areas within the council where he said they had been launching an attack on the council on daily basis.

He noted that hundreds of people have been displaced as a result of daily attack many of them he said are presently scattered around the council to take refugee including Anyin.

“Since the take-off of the law last Wednesday, the herdsmen have been attacking communities in Logo council.’

“On the eve of Wednesday, the day the law was to take off, the herdsmen were moving out of the communities at hinterland and only to find them settled in coastal areas that border our council and Awe local government in Nasarawa state.

“Since then, they have been invading our communities on a daily basis shooting and attacking people, just yesterday (Monday) a woman was raped by the herdsmen who was rushed to EEC hospital at Ayilamo.”

“As I speak with you now five persons have been hospitalized for varying degree of injuries sustained as a result of an attack on our communities, the major problem we are having now is the threat that the herdsmen are already gathering at the coastal area to unleash a massive attack on the council”.

The council boss called on the state governor, Samuel Ortom to help in deploying soldiers to the council, particularly, the coastal areas within the local government.

“The only people these herdsmen dread is military, even if we can get five soldiers in the coastal area, they will all flee”, Nyajo concluded.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, ASP Moses Yamu said he was yet to be briefed on the recent problem at the council area apart from the killing last Thursday.