Farmers-herders crisis: Benue villages count losses again

Precisely seven days ago, at 2:20pm on Sunday, gunmen suspected to be herders, launched an attack on three villages of Logo Local Government Area of Benue State. The attack, which was the first of its kind in the area, left at least 10 people dead and many others missing in the sleepy villages of Tse Akaa, Tse-Abiam and Tse Oralu, all in Ugondo community of Yonor ward in Mbanar district of Logo.

Our correspondent visited Ugba, the headquarters of Logo, where some fleeing residents of the now deserted villages are taking refuge in the homes of their relatives.

A list obtained from the Logo Council security office identified the deceased victims as Tersoo John, Ornguga User and Terlumun Ityokyaa, who were killed in Tse-Akaa, while Ayange Yooxo, Mvendaga Iornenge and Tyolumun Abuur Dajoh were hacked to death at Tse-Abiam village.

Others are Kande Beji, Teryila Chia, Tersoo Nongu and Mde Abiam, who were killed in TseOralu village. The missing persons are yet to be identified.

Terngutswen Iorlumun, whose 56-year-old father was killed at Tse Akaa-Sakera, recalled that after church service on that fateful Sunday afternoon, some villagers were at the market square when they suddenly heard sporadic gunshots. He explained that they ran in different directions to see what was amiss, only to discover that their village was under siege by heavily armed men suspected to be herders.

“I quickly ran to our house and moved my mother and little siblings to safety in another nearby village on a motorbike. When I returned to pick up my father, I saw him in a pool of blood. He was killed at a distance from the house as he tried to escape,’’ Iorlumun narrated amidst tears.

He said that his deceased father, Iorlumun Ityokyaa Akaa, who was a vice principal, came home from Kastina-Ala town to spend the weekend with his family.

Iorlumun, who is the eldest child of the deceased’s eight children, further said that when the police arrived to pick up the remains of his late father, two other persons had also been killed.

His mother, Mrs Susan Aza Iorlumun, a farmer, corroborated the story, saying she had gone to church that morning with her late husband. She said the police later recovered his corpse at the premises of the NKST Church where he had run to before he was killed.

Recounting what may have been the genesis of the incident, the kindred head of Akan/Jinge in Mbatir council ward, Chief Terkula Akange, said the first sign of trouble appeared in his domain exactly two weeks ago when the herders invaded a farm belonging to one Dennis Nongu and macheted him and three of his children.

They also attacked a commercial motorcyclist who was conveying a woman and her 10-year-old sick child to TseAbiam.

“The herders macheted the sick child and destroyed the motorbike’s petrol tank as the cyclist tried to run away. As if that was not enough, they shot sporadically as they grazed their cattle along the routes,’’ he said.

Akange, who is also taking refuge at Ugba town, noted that no one was killed during that first attempt.

“We are on the run. This is planting season and no farming work is going on because we are afraid to go to our farms. My yam seedlings, which ought to have been planted, are still in the house. All my people are now scattered in different directions. Nobody is in the villages now except security operatives drafted to the area,’’ he added.

Lamenting the killings in his domain, the paramount ruler of Ichongo, who oversees the entire area, His Royal Highness Peter Iorhuna, said the action of the herders was totally unacceptable. He said that on April 22, about two weeks before the unfortunate incident, he received a report that herders invaded the groundnut farm of one of his subjects, and when the owner of the farm asked them to leave, he was attacked with a machete.

According to the monarch, following the attacks, local government officials, in collaboration with traditional heads of the area, called a meeting with the herders association in the state.

“At the meeting, the Myetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) alleged that about five of their cattle were rustled. We agreed with the council to pay for the missing cattle. It was also agreed that they would collect the money for the missing cattle by Monday, but they struck on Sunday, killing 10 of my people,’’ the royal father said.

Iorhuna, however, said that peace appeared to have returned to the troubled villages as a result of the presence of security operatives, including soldiers deployed to the area. According to him, the security agents are currently combing the bushes to recover missing persons and possibly arrest the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

Meanwhile, the security secretary of Logo Local Government, Tor Jiji Alur, explained that the council chairman agreed to pay the sum of N921, 500 for the six missing cattle, which the herders alleged were rustled in one of the affected villages.

“For peace to prevail, it was agreed that the herders would collect the sum of N921, 500 as payment for the six missing cattle on Monday. They claimed that the cattle were rustled at Yonor ward. Instead of waiting for their money on the day scheduled for payment, they struck on Sunday,’’ Alur said.

Speaking to our correspondent, the state coordinator of the MACBAN, Garus Gololo, said it was true that the traditional and local government leaders of the area met with the association. He added that the meeting was attended by the state chairman of the association, Alhaji Obi Haruna.

Gololo said he gathered from Haruna that an agreement was reached at the meeting that the council would pay for the missing cattle on Monday, but they didn’t know why some of the herders went behind to unleash terror on the villagers on Sunday.

“I am saddened by the development. I condemn the action of those who perpetrated the unlawful act in its entirety. We are law abiding, and therefore, won’t shield any criminal. I urge the security operatives to properly investigate the matter, arrest and prosecute those found to have committed the crime. They should be brought to book,” Gololo said.

Spokesman of the police, Benue State command, Moses Joel Yamu, who also confirmed that some of the suspected attackers were arrested, said they would be paraded by the commissioner of police, Bashir Makama, in Makurdi.

Yamu appealed to the affected villagers to return to their homes as adequate security had been provided to forestall a repeat of the incident.