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Tag: Benue

  • Benue killings: Fayose visits graveyard of 73 victims, says Buhari ruling with double standard

    The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Thursday called on the Federal Government to stop ruling the country with double standard.

    Fayose made the call during his visit to Benue State to commiserate with the people of the state over the loss of 73 people to herdsmen attacks.

    He said, “Those who committed less offence like hate speech are made to face the wrath of the law while those unleashing mayhem on others are treated as sacred cows.”

    He described the crisis in Benue State as ethnic cleansing and urged the people not to allow others to cow them, saying, “This nation belongs to our forefathers and they bequeathed it to us and we should not allow anyone to chase others away, this country belongs to all of us.

    “I went to the graveside today and I was moved to tears. How can people be slaughtered like cows? There is no terrorism more than what has happened in Benue.

    “I charge the Federal Government to stop ruling Nigeria with double standard. Killing innocent souls, sacking their communities is nothing but terrorism.”

    He urged Ortom not to be weary but to ensure that the anti-grazing law succeeds in the state.

    In his response, Ortom regretted that the authorities did not heed the warning from Benue, saying if they did, the 73 souls and others would not have died.

    While reiterating the call for the resignation of the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, Ortom described him and the defence minister as bare-footed people who were not capable of carrying out their responsibilities.

  • Photos: Fayose visits Ortom over Benue killings

    Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose is currently in Benue state to commiserate with the people over the clashes between farmers and herdsmen.

    Fayose’s visit comes 24 hours after that of Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state who offered prayers at the gravesite of the 73 persons killed in January.

    He also donated N200 million to persons affected by the crisis. Over 80 persons have been killed in the state this year alone.

    Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue, was on ground to receive Fayose, who is chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum.

  • Herdsmen/farmers clashes: Army launches ‘Exercise Ayem Akpatuma’ in Benue, Taraba, others

    The Nigerian Army said on Wednesday that it will begin Exercise Ayem Akpatuma covering Benue, Taraba, Kogi, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Niger states in order to tackle the cases of kidnappings, herdsmen/farmers’ clashes among others.

    The Chief of Training and Operations, Maj Gen David Ahmadu, who announced this in Abuja on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, said the exercise would run from February 15 to March 31, 2018.

    According to the army, Exercise Ayem Akpatuma, which is said to be the Tiv language for Cat race, will involve raids, cordon and search operations, roadblocks, show of force and checkpoints.

     

    Details later….

  • Herdsmen: ‘Defend yourselves against further attacks’ Ortom tells Benue residents

    Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has Tuesday charges residents in the state to defend themselves against further attacks by Fulani herdsmen.

    Ortom said this on a radio programme in the state on Tuesday.

    The governor noted that in spite of the presence of policemen in the state, killings were still going on in two local government areas.

    He flayed the statement credited to the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, which blamed the anti-open grazing law for the New Year attacks, saying it encouraged the herdsmen to carry out more attacks on the state.

    He said, “I think the people should have the right to defend themselves and not to make themselves easy preys to be killed in their homes.

    “So any lawful means you can adopt to defend yourself, just go ahead in Benue State. We are not going to wait for the Inspector-General of Police to do it.”

    The governor however commiserated with the families of the policemen killed in the attacks.

    “It is unfortunate, the people are dying and the Inspector-General of Police is playing politics with the issue. The man should resign because he has failed woefully. He doesn’t have the capacity.

    “There are many good police officers who can take over that job and perform creditably by turning around the security architecture of this country, making things work and protecting lives and property. That man has no business being the IGP,” Ortom lamented.

    Meanwhile, the governor has lifted the curfew imposed on Gboko town.

    Ortom had last Wednesday imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on the town following the killing of seven travellers.

    Ortom announced the lifting of the curfew at a meeting he held with the leaders of the Benue Motorcycle Association and heads of security agencies at the Benue Peoples House, Makurdi.

    He condemned the killing of the travellers and maintained that the victims were not Fulani people as reported

     

  • Herdsmen/farmers’ clashes: Enactment of anti-open grazing law responsible for killings in Benue, Taraba – IG

    The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris on Friday identified the controversial anti-open grazing laws in Benue and Taraba states as the source of the unending crisis in the two middle belt states.

    The police boss told s Senate Joint Committee on Police Affairs and National Intelligence that the enactment of the laws against the opposition of herdsmen was responsible for the problem in the states.

    Idris appeared before the joint committee in camera following the directive of the Senate in plenary that he should be summoned to explain why he failed to comply with the mandate of the upper chamber to apprehend perpetrators of the January 1st mayhem in Benue state.

    Herdsmen suspected to be Fulani swooped on two Benue communities on New Year Day and killed not less than 73 persons.

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Abu Ibrahim, refused to brief reporters after the closed door interface with the IGP.

    Ibrahim insisted that he would only report back to the Senate as directed.

    A source close to the committee, however, said that Idris was categorical that the anti-open grazing laws in Benue and Taraba should be blamed for the continuing killings in the states.

    The source also said that the IGP told the committee that a number of arrests have been made.

    The police boss was said to have told the committee that over 120 people have bee arrested as those behind the crisis in the states.

    Asked whether the IGP wanted the laws scrapped, the source noted that Idris was not categorical on the issue of scrapping the laws in the two states.

  • Killings: Benue increases ransom on gang leader from N10m to N50m

    The Benue State Security Council has jerked up the ransom placed on a terror gang leader and most wanted criminal in the state, Mr. Terwas Akwasa, aka Gana, from N10m to N50m.

    The state security council had, in 2016, declared Gana wanted and placed a ransom of N10m on his head.

    Commissioner for Information, Mr. Lawrence Onoja Jnr, made this known on Thursday when he was briefing newsmen on the outcome of the state security council meeting held at Government House, Makurdi.

    Onoja said the upward review of the ransom was necessitated by the elevated crisis going on in Katsina Ala-Ukum axis.

    The commissioner further said the state security council had placed a ban on the use of covered number plates and indiscriminate use of siren in the state.

    He added that traditional rulers across the state have been given up to the end of February to stop concealing their number plates.

    The commissioner reiterated that the state government neither owns nor sponsors any militia, stating that no member of Livestock Guard in the state is allowed to carry arms.

    The state security council condemned the killings in Gboko on Wednesday and explained that the victims of the attack were not Fulanis.

    He assured residents of adequate protection of lives and property.

    The council appealed to people of the state to continue to obey the law and not to take law into their own hands.

     

  • Pandemonium as hoodlums set seven ablaze in Benue

    The Benue State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said on Wednesday that seven people have been killed in Gboko by “criminal elements.”

    He also said several people have been arrested in connection with the killing and brought to the state police command in Makurdi for interrogation.

    He refused to reveal the number of suspects arrested so far.

    Addressing journalists at the command headquarters, Owoseni said the victims were attacked at a motor park in Gboko.

    He said the victims were set ablaze by the hoodlums.

    “It is a pure act of criminality which has no ethnic or religious coloration. Those behind the dastard act will be apprehended and dealt with according to the law of the land,” Owoseni said.

    The police commissioner said Governor Samuel Ortom has visited Gboko for on the spot assessment and a dust- to- dawn curfew has been imposed on the town.

    He warned that anybody found wandering between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in Gboko would face the law.

  • Troops raid shrine in Benue, arrest chief priest

    The Army said it had arrested a native doctor, Tordue Gber (Tiv Swem), who allegedly acted as spiritual counselor to the wanted armed criminal militia, Akwazar Terwase (alias Gana), in Benue.

    A statement by Brig.-Gen Sani Usman, the Director of Army Public Relations, on Tuesday, said the suspect was picked up in Tor-Dunga town in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of the state during a raid on his shrine.

    Usman said troops of 707 Special Forces Brigade arrested Gber on Monday during the operation.

    It will be recalled that Terwase was declared wanted by the security agencies and has been at large since 2016.

    “Preliminary investigation shows that Tordue Gber (Tiv Swem) acts as spiritual counselor that provides Gana with “diabolical” powers and the shrine serves as hideout for wanted armed militia, meeting and planning point for operations and logistics base for the criminal armed militias that operate in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba States.

    “The native doctor was arrested along with one of his accomplice, Atoo Kuwe Francis, while planning to carry out an attack and abduct one Mr. Zaya at Tse Bente village in the same local government area,” he said.

    The army spokesman, however, said Tordue was shot dead “during the struggle to disarm him.”

    Usman said the troops recovered a locally fabricated pistol, two baretta Pistols, 11 rounds of 9mm ammunition, three motorcycles and assorted charms from the shrine

    Other items recovered, he said were nclude clothings for concealing weapons, two mobile telephones and three power generators, amongst other items at the hideout.

    NAN

  • Police arrest 130 in connection with Benue massacre

    The Benue State Police Command said it has arrested no fewer than 130 suspects over the recent massacre and subsequent threat to peace in the state.

    The detainees include those being held for killings in parts of the state and attacks on residents of Makurdi, the state capital.

    “The number of those arrested is high. The number is not necessarily restricted to a certain category,” Police Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Habila Joshak said.

    Joshak is assisting Inspector General Ibrahim Idris to co-ordinate police operations to contain the recent mayhem in the state.

    He had been contacted to assess the security situation in the state, two weeks after the burial of 73 victims of Fulani herdsmen attacks.

    President Muhammadu Buhari subsequently directed Idris to move to the state to stop the security challenge.

    Joshak said: “There were attempts to cause security challenges in the city of Makurdi, around the Wadata area.

    “Some houses were attacked and cars vandalised, so, those involved were also rounded up. About 130 have been arrested altogether over the disturbances in the city.

    “In the areas earlier affected by the violent crisis, some arrests have been made.”

    He said relative peace has now returned to the state and more police personnel deployed to keep trouble makers away.

    Continuing, the DIG said: “Assessing the performance of security officers or the situation on ground is based largely on the perception of the citizens themselves.

    “You may be thinking that you are succeeding or doing something significant in the security template and people may be thinking otherwise.

    “On the other hand, you may assume that you have not done so much because of limited time and number of activities while what you have done may be of extremely significant impact to the people.

    “However, we have been able to stop some of the nefarious activities that were going on in some local governments, particularly in Guma and Logo as well as Agatu area of Benue state.

    “Beyond that, our coming has assisted in coordinating activities by analyzing and assessing threats from one location to another. The IGP is coordinating and making a lot of inputs. He has convened several stakeholders meetings in both Benue and Nassarawa states.”

    Joshak said the massive deployment of more personnel has also assisted the police in bringing the situation under control.

    His words: “We have done massive deployment of personnel. Outside the normal presence on ground, the reinforcement at the Nassarawa state end is eight units; each unit comprises 63 policemen.

    “In Benue state, there are 10 additional units. Outside the ten units, we have a highly specialized unit that was trained in Belarus, with the military who formed the initial action plan and those who actually started the conduct of the action against Boko Haram in the Northeast.

    “They can be said to be a counter-terrorism unit but they are more than that, having done some highly specialized training with the military in Belarus. They can be airlifted and dropped to repel anywhere. Their duty is to go in, fight and come back.”

  • Killings: Benue leaders threaten to cut alliance with North

    Apparently frustrated by the incessant killings and attacks on Benue communities, leaders of the state have mandated the state government to cut socio-political alignment with the North, if the killings continued.

    Pained that it took northern governors three weeks to visit the state after the killing of 73 people by herdsmen and even up till now President Muhammadu Buhari is yet to visit the state, the leaders said it was time to revive the old Middle-Belt of late Joseph Tarka or seek alignment with the South.

    Various Benue stakeholders, including serving and former elected leaders, elder statesmen and leaders of ethnic nationalities in the state echoed these views at an expanded stakeholders’ meeting held at Government House, Makurdi.

    Unanimously, the stakeholders called for the restructuring of Nigeria to address the numerous challenges facing the country.

    Speaking at the meeting, former Minister of Steel, Wantaregh Paul Unongo, urged Benue families to defend themselves and not allow herdsmen slaughter them like chicken.

    His words: “I am urging you because I know that under the UN chatter, if your government fails to protect you, you can protect yourself; it is no crime. Our people should, therefore organise, themselves around the traditional rulership to defend yourselves.

    “And I also state categorical on our alliance with the North, that if in time of need your own friend is not going to help you, you are under bounds to make new friendship that will be mutually beneficial.”

    The elder statesman insisted that President Buhari should come to the state to condole with the people, noting: “It was for this reason that I refused to be part of the delegation to the President.”

    On the part of the ethnic leaders, Chief Ode Enyi, President-General of Omi ‘Yi Igede, said: “We have given the state government ultimatum to pull out of the Northern Governors’ Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers Council if the killings in Benue persisted and after issuing that ultimatum the killings are continuing. So, the wishes of the people must be obeyed.”

    On his part, member of the House of Representatives for Gboko Federal constituency, Mr. John Dyegh, urged the people to revive the Middle Belt Forum, the platform through which the likes of legendary late Joseph Tarka propagated the interest of the people of the state and middle belt.

    In his speech, state Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigerian, CAN, Rev. Akpen Leva, expressed the disappointment of the church over the visit of the Northern Governors’ Forum to the state three weeks after the killings.

    He said: “The church is disappointed in that visit because it was more of a mockery. We will continue to demand justice over the unprovoked murder of our children, pregnant women and the elderly.”

    Agada raises the alarm over herdsmen influx into Agatu Former Minister of State for Education, Prof. Jerry Agada, raised the alarm of a large influx of suspected herdsmen into Agatu, disclosing that the Ardo of the area has told the people that they would come into the area irrespective of the provisions of the grazing law.

    Governor Samuel Ortom said: “Because of the crisis, we are now faced with over 80,000 internally displaced persons, IDPs, in camps located at Daudu, Gbajimba, Utsav, Anyiin and Ugba. Let us continue to be firm. Let us continue to be law-abiding and not take the law into our hands or embark on reprisals. What we see happening now is deliberate. They want us to be angry and do their desire but we are not going to do their bidding. “No matter the intimidation, blackmail and name-calling there is no going back on the Benue grazing law because it is for the good of all, herdsmen and farmers alike.”