Over 42 persons have been k!lled, with seven others badly injured, while another two were kidnapped as suspected herders unleashed brazen attacks on 4 communities in Gwer-West Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State.
Reports say that most residents have already fled from their communities, as the attacks have become a daily occurrence.
According to a local source, while over 20 persons were k!lled in Aondona community, seven others were k!lled in Ahume, five in Tyolaha, along with six persons k!lled in Orbiam community and two others kidnapped near a military base in the LGA respectively.
The source further disclosed to Daily Asset newspaper that “the armed Fulani herders first attacked Aondona town on Sunday at about 4pm and continued yesterday at Ahume and a Military Base at Orbiam and Tyolaha.
”I can categorically confirm to you that 20 persons were k!lled in Aondona, five in Tyolaha, seven k!lled in Ahume and 6 others were k!lled in Orbiam at the Military Base which is just three Kilometers away from Naka town, while seven people were injured with two others kidnapped.
”The local government council in collaboration with stakeholders in Nagi set up a search and rescue operation team. So far, the search and rescue team has recovered six corpses this morning (Monday), while the injured ones have been evacuated to general hospital Naka for medical attention.
“As I speak with you, our people have fled all the communities in the affected areas. The whole communities have been deserted and taken over by herders.
“We can no longer go to farms, children have stopped going to school, while markets and churches have been shutdown due to the activities of these Fulani terrorists occupying communities.
“Government must do something, they must act fast to stop these incessant k!llings in Benue State particularly in Gwer-West”, the sources stated.
The Chairman of Gwer-West Local Government Council, Hon. Victor Ormin, confirmed the incident, saying that the k!lling was still on as over 42 people have been k!lled so far.
He described the killings as a “Pathetic situation”, adding that recovery of corpses is still on-going and over 30 dead bodies have been recovered so far between Sunday and Monday (yesterday).
According to him, when he confronted the military on why they are adamant to engage the armed herders, the military personnel told him they were yet to receive a directive from higher authorities to engage them.
”Only yesterday, I buried five people, fathers of children and when I confronted the military to engage the k!llers of my people, they told me that they are waiting for a directive from higher authorities.
So, until my people are all killed before the federal government would give directives to military personnel before engaging these people.
“They are claiming they don’t have the mandate to engage these people, that it is only the federal government that can give them the mandate to engage these people.
“So, my people should be killed, dead, before the federal government would talk about it; what is the meaning of this?
”Yesterday I buried a father and two of his children over 40 to 50 years of age in Tse-Orbiam, very close to a military base. What is the meaning of this? Now we are talking about 40 or more people. This is genocide.
”If they cannot help me, maybe I will leave this chairman seat and let it continue the way it is. I don’t care about being a chairman of a people that are all killed. Look at a child of two years old butch with cutlasses.
”More than 20 people were killed in Aondona village. This is a village of the former first lady of this state, Eunice Ortom.
“This is the village of Tor Gwer, this is the village of Bishop of Makurdi catholic diocese Bishop Anagbe.
“This is talking too much to condone and I can tell you, whatever will happen, will happen.
”We are not saying that the military is incompetent, the soldiers are waiting for the orders and the mandate to do what they have to do which have not been given.
“A Mobile police man, identified as Magaji, was killed yesterday. He has dedicated his whole life to service, he is always at that junction along Naka road whether he has bullets or not.
“Yesterday when they came, they said he finished his ammunition and was scouting for people to leave and Magaji was killed yesterday. This is genocide”.
As of press time, the Benue State Police Command was yet to confirm the ugly development in Gwer-West Local Government Area.
All efforts to get confirmation from the command’s police public relations officer, Catherine Anene was unsuccessful as she could not respond to text or calls.
