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Tag: Herdsmen

  • Killings: I didn’t abandon Benue during herdsmen, farmers clashes – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said he didn’t abandon Benue State during the herdsmen and farmers clashes that claimed 73 lives.

    The president also said that government was deeply worried about the incessant attacks on Benue’s rural communities, and vowed to end the menace “very soon”.

    The president said this on Monday when he visited the state.

    He also met with farmers, herdsmen, government officials and other stakeholders as part efforts to resolving the crisis.

    “I cannot overlook the killings in Benue or any other part of Nigeria. I cannot do that. I am genuinely worried about the attacks in Benue and we are doing everything to end them,” he said.

    He said that the insecurity in some states was a major concern to his government, adding that concerted efforts were being made to restore normalcy to every part of the country.

    He, however, said that the meeting was not the best place to expose the inefficiency of his appointees, and appealed to Benue people to exercise restraint and live in peace with their neighbours.

    Buhari appealed to the people to pay more attention to farming, especially rice cultivation, saying that rice importation had dropped by 90 per cent since some states embarked on massive production of the commodity.

    Speaking earlier, Gov Samuel Ortom appealed to the President to upgrade the ongoing military exercise in the state tagged “Ayem Akpatema”, to a wider operation to effectively curb herdsmen attacks.

    “If the exercise is upgraded to a wider operation, it will assist greatly in ending the incessant attacks and senseless killings by herdsmen,” he said

    He urged Benue people to learn to live in peace with other people.

    Ortom said that many states were currently involved in massive cultivation of rice, and urged his people to join the trend.

    The governor reiterated his call for the arrest of the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, alleging that the body was responsible for the killings in Benue.

    Ortom maintained that ranching was the best option for cattle breeding in Nigeria, and advised herdsmen to embrace it so as to minimise the clashes caused by open grazing.

    He also called on the federal government to take over the management of the Benue University Teaching Hospital, College of Education, Katsina-Ala and Benue Polytechnic, Ugbokolo.

    Malam Shetima Mohammed, a representative of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Benue Chapter, however, denied responsibility for the Benue attacks.

    “Our association is a peace loving one and the exact opposite of what is being portrayed,” he declared.

  • Presidential visit: Herdsmen kill 11, burn 50 houses in fresh attacks in Plateau

    There was pandemonium again in Plateau State on Friday as herdsmen invade two separate villages killing eleven people with over 50 houses burnt.

    Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari was in the state on a working visit from Wednesday to Friday.

    He had barely left the state on Friday when the attacks were launched on Ganda village of Daffo District in Bokkos Local Government Area and Miango village in Bassa Local Government Area. The communities were attacked few hours after the inauguration of Plateau State Peace Building Agency by the President, who was in Jos, the state capital, on a working visit.

    The Spokesperson for the Miango Youth Development Association, Lawrence Zongo, identified the five persons killed in Miango as Emmanuel Joseph (16), Christopher Joseph (16), Peace Joseph (6), Henry Audu (25), Illa Isa Peter (52). Three of them were siblings, out of which two of them were a set of twins.

    He added that Cenka Amos, four, who he said was seriously injured, was receiving treatment at Enos Hospital, Miango.

    He said, “What happened to us is very bad, (it happened) despite the presence of President Muhammadu Buhari. The state government has been preaching peace but Plateau State went up in flames. Five persons, including a set of twins (Emmanuel Joseph and Christopher Joseph) and their brother, Peace Joseph, were killed.

    “We have been devastated and shocked. Despite all the peace meetings with the Fulani people, the assailants keep killing our innocent people without provocation. It is sad that the military cannot arrest the Fulani persons behind the killings. The government has failed in protecting lives and property of citizens. Our demand is that the perpetrators should be arrested and prosecuted.”

    The National President of Irigwe Development Association and a former member of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Sunday Abdu, also confirmed the casualty figure of the Bassa attack, while the Spokesperson for Bokkos Local Government Area, Jerry Datim, confirmed that of Ganda.

    Abdu said, “Yes, it is true that five people were killed in Miango by Fulani herdsmen in an attack which took place on Thursday night and lasted till the early part of Friday. Others were wounded in the unprovoked attack. The bodies of the five slaughtered people have been deposited at the hospital morgue. We are no longer in a hurry to bury our dead. Whenever we are going to bury them, we will let you people know.

    “The Fulani herdsmen are killing us but they are the ones crying. What kind of pretence is that? I still appeal to the security personnel not to relent, but to step up vigilance and surveillance to stop this pogrom and unwarranted carnage.”

    Datim said that “over 50 houses were burnt, six persons killed at Ganda, while several persons were also injured and rushed to the hospital.”

    A lucky survivor, Matawal Mangut, who lost five brothers to the attackers in Ganda, lamented that their house was burnt completely and that everything they ever worked for was gone.

    He called for “assistance from the federal and state governments” to help protect them from the persistent Fulani herders’ attacks in the area.

    When contacted, the Spokesperson for Plateau State Police Command, Matthias Tyopev, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, confirmed the killings, describing it as “culpable homicide and grievous hurt.”

    Tyopev also gave the names of some of the deceased persons but some of the details were different from the information provided by Zongo.

    He said, “Yesterday (Thursday), March 8, 2018, at about 8 pm, some unknown gunmen attacked and killed four Irigwe people at Datanko village and one Fulani Christian at Nzharuvo village in Miango District. The deceased persons were identified as Emmanuel Joseph (male, 16 years), Christopher Joseph (male, 16 years), Peace Joseph (male, six years), Henry Audu (male, 25 years) and Samuel Isah (male, 48 years).

    “Meanwhile, Samuel Isah has been buried, while four other corpses have been deposited at the Jos University Teaching Hospital’s mortuary. Chenka Amos, four, is still lying unconscious at Enos Private Hospital, Miango. The investigation is in progress; intensive patrol is being sustained.”

    The Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (Plateau State), Mohammadu Nuru Abdullah, had on Wednesday alleged that there was a fresh attack on his kinsmen, which claimed three lives.

    Abdullah, had in a statement, said he was “overwhelmingly shocked” that the Irigwe militias, in an effort to accomplish their mission of terrorising Fulani herdsmen in Bassa Local Government Area, had on Monday, April 5, 2018, again attacked Fulani cattle herders and mercilessly killed three persons without any provocation.

    He had identified the persons as Abubakar Shehu, Abubakar Gidado and Ishaq Yusuf.

    “It is also disturbing that the Irigwe community would always trespass into other neighbouring local government areas, launch their attacks and kill our people for no reason.”

    He had said, “On the same Monday when three of our kinsmen were killed, the same militias attacked and killed a total of 38 cows; 20 of the cows belonged to Wada Alh Audu, while 18 belonged to Umaru Ibrahim.

    “The Irigwe militias usually cross into Riyom, Jos South and part of Southern Kaduna to strike. In this particular incident, they operated from Rukwechungu village of Miango district in Bassa Local Government Area into Gero village of Gyel district in Jos South Local Government Area.

    “They also beat up and wounded Haruna Zakariya, who is now receiving treatment in a clinic at Rafin Bauna. It is on record that this militia group has been unleashing terror on our innocent cattle herders in the area.”

     

  • Herdsmen/farmers clashes: Police make U-turn, vows to enforce anti-open grazing laws in affected states

    The Nigeria Police Force has stated that it will ensure enforcement of the anti-open grazing laws enacted by the various state governments as a panacea to the recurring clashes between herdsmen and farmers that has led to the wanton destruction of lives and properties.

    The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Jimoh Moshood, stated this on Friday in an interview with The Punch Newspapers.

    Moshood said the police would enforce all the laws as they pertained to the protection of lives and property.

    The police spokesperson noted that the civil authorities had the right to issue a directive to the security agencies.

    The House of Representatives had on Thursday asked President Muhammadu Buhari to direct security agencies to immediately begin the enforcement of the Open Grazing (Prohibition) Law in Benue State and halt the killings by herdsmen.

    The House passed the resolution in Abuja as lawmakers again condemned the latest attacks on villagers in the Okpokwu Local Government Area of the state where 26 more lives were lost on Monday.

    It asked the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and heads of other security agencies to implement the anti-open grazing law in Benue State.

    When asked whether or not the police had enforced the law on open grazing by the Benue State Government as directed by the members of the House of Representatives, Moshood said, “If they are directing the IG, they have the constitutional right to give any directive to an agency over which they have an oversight. Nobody is denying that. They should be the ones to say whether we have been enforcing the ban or not.

    “On our part, the police have been enforcing all the laws as they concern the protection of lives and property. What I’m telling you is that the police are bound to enforce all laws (including the ban).

    “It is the same people who say they are giving a directive that can say whether the police have been enforcing the ban or not.”

    The Benue State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, could not be reached for comment as of the time of filing this report.

    But he had earlier told one of our correspondents that 44 persons had been arrested for violating the anti-open grazing law in Benue.

    Owoseni had said that the arrests were made by the military in the course of the operation, which started on February 15, 2018.

    He said, “Arrests were made with regards to the non-compliance to the Open Grazing Prohibition Law of Benue State.

    “Forty-four suspects were arrested by the military in the course of the exercise by the military for violating the law in the state. The suspects have been arraigned in court and their trial is ongoing.”

    Besides Benue, Taraba State has made a law that bans open grazing in any part of the state.

    The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, had at a northern stakeholders summit on security on February 28, advised state governors to build ranches before banning open grazing.

    He had said, “To reduce the incidence of clashes between farmers and herders in Nigeria, state governments should endeavour to establish grazing ranches in their various states before enacting laws to prohibit open rearing and grazing,”

    This, he said, would make the law banning open grazing acceptable by the people.

    The IGP, on Wednesday, warned governors to desist from pushing anti-open grazing laws in their respective states until they had ranches for livestock in place.

    Idris’ comment, which is a reiteration of similar warnings for which he had been criticised in the past, was delivered at a security meeting with northern leaders on Wednesday in Kaduna, according to a police statement.

    “To reduce the incidence of clashes between farmers and herders in Nigeria, state governments should endeavour to establish grazing ranches in their various states before enacting laws to prohibit open rearing and grazing,” Idris was quoted as saying in an e-mailed statement from the Force Headquarters.

    The police chief has been an ardent critic of any legislation that targets herdsmen’s activities across the country, warning that the best approach towards a peaceful resolution of the farmers-herders crisis is to work out the modalities for livestock ranching first.

  • Delta under siege, laments Gov. Okowa

    The Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday, said the state was under siege by herdsmen.

    Okowa spoke at Isiokolo, Ethiope East Local Government Area, in continuation of the town hall meetings across the state.

    He insisted that the state will not cede land to the establishment of cattle colonies, asking the Federal Government to come out with a definite policy to end herdsmen attacks.

    Okowa said, “Unfortunately, in our state, we are under siege. But we are trying to manage it the best way possible.

    “We have made a statement that we will not support cattle colonies in Delta State because we do not have enough land for our farmers, considering the fact that a lot of our land is already degraded from oil exploitation activities.

    “We have raised these issues, along with other states, as we have no doubt that the clashes we have here is not limited to Delta State.

    “We believe the Federal Government needs to work out a policy that will checkmate this and we are happy that the Vice President is currently leading a committee to look into this, but before then, we will continue to work with the state’s Commissioner of Police on how to look into the issues involved.”

     

  • Several feared killed as herdsmen invade community in Benue

    Several people have been killed in a fresh attack by suspected herdsmen on Olosu, a village in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State.

    The Chairman of the LGA, Mr Ogwuche Olofu, told newsmen that 17 people were killed in the attack.

    The herdsmen are said to have attacked the community on Monday after accusing youths in the village of attacking them.

    According to Mr Olofu, the attack took place about 30 minutes after he left the village next to where the camp of the herdsmen that were reportedly attacked.

    Apart from those that were killed, the LG chairman said many people were still missing.

    The police have, however, yet to confirm the number of people killed in the attack.

    This comes on the same day President Muhammadu Buhari visited Taraba.

    Recall the presidency have also slated to visit Benue, Yobe, Zamfara and Rivers states which have been affected by the herdsmen-farmers conflict.

  • Herdsmen/farmers clashes: Why I didn’t rush to Taraba, Benue, other troubled states – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on explained why he didn’t rush to some troubled states despite the criticisms.

    The president reiterated that he has his way of monitoring developments instead of “rushing” to crises spots and “making noise”.

    Buhari spoke in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, during his visit to assess the situation in the state and condole with victims of violence.

    No fewer than 200 people are believed to have been killed in communal disputes, herders/farmers clashes and others in the state.

    Many of the dead were buried in mass graves. Many are injured and hospitalised. Others have been forced out of their homes.

    The local government areas worst- hit by the herdsmen/farmers crisis are: Lau, Ibi, Gassol, Bali, Wukari, Takum and Sardauna where scores were killed in renewed violence at the weekend.

    Leaders of the violence-hit communities were at the Government House yesterday to meet with the President, who urged all Nigerians to embrace peace and live together in harmony so that “there could be meaningful development and not destruction”.

    “I am here (Taraba) to meet with the leadership of the state, to offer my condolences to those who lost loved ones and properties in violence.

    “People, sometimes expect me to rush out to the fields, to go and make noise.

    “But I have my ways of gathering intelligence. I get to know what is happening across the country without necessarily going to those areas.

    “I will be going to Benue and Zamfara after I return from Ghana to also condole with the people,” Buhari said.

    He urged traditional rulers in the state to step up activities in their various chiefdoms to foster peaceful coexistence among their subjects and to remain vigilant at all times.

    The President was accompanied by Minister of Women Affairs Hajia Aisha Alhassan , Minister of Defence Manir Dan Ali; Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed, some Service Chiefs and National Assembly members from the state.

    The delegation was received by Governor Darius Ishaku and state’s lawmakers, led by the speaker.

    President Buhari said he chose to visit Taraba first, before Benue and Zamfara states, adding that there were more killings in Taraba, Benue and Zamfara states.

    Ishaku said the state was delighted to welcome the President in its trying time.

    The governor noted that Taraba State was a “mini Nigeria”, with its over 80 ethnic groups and three religions to handle. “It is not easy to always balance things up here.”

    Ishaku said the state was contending with a different breed of herdsmen who are militias moving around with AK 47 rifles to remove anything in their way, unlike the known herdsmen who had cohabited with the people for decades without skirmishes.

    “The problem is never between the locals. The local Fulani and other tribes blend without issues.

    “We have a new breed and specie of herdsmen militias who move around with sophisticated weapons; they are poised to remove anything in their track.

    “They must be arrested now before it degenerates to something we can not contend with,” Ishaku said.

    Opinion leaders from the warring ethnic groups insisted that justice and fairness must be seen to be taking their course and the rule of law allowed to prevail for peace to return.

    The President is also expected to visit Yoe State where 110 girls were kidnapped on February 19 and Rivers State where many people were killed in New Year’s Day attack perpetrated by the late Don Wayne.

    In a statement, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Femi Adesina said the President had urged the Armed Forces and other security agencies to compile comprehensive reports on the various incidents.

    “Having received and studied the reports, the President has decided to undertake an on the spot assessment of the various occurrences and to meet and console the communities affected.

    Adesina said: “From today, March 5, he will visit Taraba, and subsequently Benue, Yobe, Zamfara and Rivers states.

    “President Buhari has been receiving daily briefings, and has been in constant touch with the governors, and has been updated with situation reports.”

    The President has also called on all Nigerians, especially those in the affected areas, to cooperate fully with the security agencies to enable them curb the spate of crimes, bring those responsible to justice and prevent furthe

  • Again, troops nab seven herdsmen in Benue destroying farmlands

    Troops again have arrested seven herdsmen in Benue while they were reportedly destroying farmlands with their cattle on Wednesday.

    This brings the number of herdsmen arrested for such crime to 17 in the last four days.

    Earlier, 10 herdsmen were nabbed on Monday while destroying farmland at Tse-Tigir and Tse-Ndugh villages of the state.

    The Director of Army Public Relations, Texas Chukwu, said in a statement on Thursday that troops arrested four of the suspects at Gbajimba-Kaseyo-Awe and picked three along Buruku-Uba-Abeda-Ameh and Fadama Kuturu on Wednesday.

    Chukwu said that a large number of weapons were recovered from the arrested herdsmen.

    In another development, the army spokesman said Special Forces responded to a distress call on Wednesday along Okene-Lokoja road engaged a gang of suspected kidnappers.

    He said that based on information, the kidnappers had abducted one Alhaji Momoh on Feb. 18.

    Chukwu said that during the fire fight, the kidnappers abandoned their location and fled into bush but added that the troops would trail and arrest them.

    The army launched “Exercise Ayem Akpatuma – Cat Race’’ on February 15, to address recurring herdsmen/farmers clashes and other forms of criminality in Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Niger and Kogi states.

  • Operation Cat Race: Troops kill 10, arrest 6 herdsmen who set Adamawa village on fire

    The Nigerian Army said troops of 101 Special Forces Battalion on Exercise Ayem Akpatuma (Cat Race) have arrested six notorious herdsmen who invaded and set on fire Gwamba village in Numan Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

    In a statement, the Nigerian Army said “despite swift reaction to rescue the village from destruction, the notorious herdsmen set the village ablaze before troops arrival. The determine troops trailed the herdsmen and arrested 6 of them at Garigiji village while trying to escape”.

    According to the statement, during the process of the arrest, the herdsmen showed resistance, which made the alerted troops to engaged them killing 10.

    TheNewsGuru reports items recovered from the herdsmen are: one AK 47 rifle, 41 rounds of 7.62mm special, one locally made rifle with 25 cartridges & one cutlass among others.

    The troops of the 101 Special Forces Battalion deployed at Numan Local Government Area of Adamawa state swiftly responded to the distress call and supported the troops at Gwamba village under attack by herdsmen on Tuesday 27 February 2018.

     

  • Pandemonium as herdsmen invade Benue community, allegedly order villagers to vacate homes

    There was pandemonium on Monday in Mbatoho community in Makurdi, Benue State capital as suspected Fulani herdsmen invaded the area.

    Mbatoho community is a council ward located on an Island in Makurdi town.

    Leader of the community, who identified himself as John Tehemen, led a few other residents to lodge a complaint with deputy governor, Benson Abounu, saying that the herdsmen had ordered them to vacate their homes.

    He said, “Herdsmen who were fully armed with sophisticated weapons early hours of yesterday (Monday) stormed our community, Mbatoho, and ordered everyone to leave.

    “The herdsmen came in large numbers but they did not harm anyone; they only asked us to leave,” Tehemen said. He gave the population of the community to be about 5,000.

    In response, the deputy governor said the government had just received the information from the community, adding that he had ordered the security adviser, Paul Hemba, to go and find out the situation.

    “The community has just come to inform us about the attack; I have directed the security adviser to report to Police and find out the situation of things. The village is right here (pointing towards River Benue) across the river.

    When asked whether the state government is not worried that herdsmen might use the place as a launch pad, Abounu said government would determine the line of action when it establishes the true story.

    When contacted on phone, the state commissioner of police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, confirmed receiving the report while assuring that investigation would commence immediately.

  • Troops nab 10 herdsmen in Benue destroying farmland

    Troops deployed to Yelwata under the ongoing Exercise Ayem Akpatuma (Cat Race) have arrested 10 herdsmen destroying farmland at Tse-Tigir and Tse-Ndugh villages of Benue.

    Brig.-Gen. Texas Chukwu, the Director, Army Public Relations, in a statement issued late Monday night in Abuja, said the suspects fled into the bush when they sighted the troops.

    “While in the act of destroying the farmland, the herdsmen sighted the aggressive troops and fled into the bush.

    “The determined troops pursued and arrest them.

    “Items recovered from them are five motorcycles, two machetes, assorted charms and N120,000,” he said.

    Chukwu said the suspects and the items were handed over to the Police for investigation.

    The spokesman said the Army was determined to fish out criminals and recover weapons they use in killing innocent citizens.

    He appealed to the people to cooperate with the troops.