Protest Rocks Benue As Dead Count Mounts Over Herdsmen Attacks
Anger has boiled over on the streets of Makurdi and other parts of Benue state over two days of sustained attacks on Benue communities by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
On Wednesday, hundreds of youths took to the streets to demand that the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari takes decisive actions against the killer herdsmen.
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Eyewitnesses said that the marauding attackers laid siege on communities in Guma and Logo local government areas sparing not even the old, children and women as they were slaughtered in their sleep and returning from New Year Church service.
The affected communities are Gaambe-Tiev, Ayilamo and Turan all in Logo LGA as well as Umenger, Tse-Akor and Tomatar near Tse-Abi in Nongov District of Guma LGA, as well as Gaambe-Tiev, Ayilamo and Turan villages in Logo LGA.
Governor Samuel Ortom, who spoke with journalists blamed security agents for not taking decisive action to curb the attacks on the people.
The governor vowed that no matter the level of intimidation and killings by the herdsmen, the anti-open grazing law would not be reversed or repealed.
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“’This is unfortunate. The security agencies of this country are aware of what is happening in Benue. So many people are being killed, many houses destroyed, some innocent children were slaughtered, other sliced in the throat just because they want to be law abiding.
“Even amongst the livestock guards, who were there to ensure that there are no clashes, nine of them were killed and innocent women and children were killed. This is not fair.
“We must rise up; Nigerians must rise up; the Federal Government must rise up to protect us because this is not right. They (FG) own the security apparatus. The ones that are here are doing their best but there should be more and that is what we are calling for,” the governor said.
Our correspondent gathered that the youths were not only calling on the federal government to act, but have vowed to defend their communities since President Buhari has remained indifferent to the killings since 2016.
