The Benue State government has
finally revealed the timeline of attacks on its people by suspected Fulani
herdsmen between 2013 and 2017.
The state government said between
2013, when the bloodthirsty herders launched its first attack on its people in
Agatu and 2017, several persons and valuables worth millions of naira have been
lost.
Lawrence Onoja Jnr, Hon.
Commissioner for Information and Orientation while speaking at a press
conference in Makurdi, the Benue State capital said the Fulani herdsmen decided
to declare war on people of the state because of the enactment of the anti-open
grazing law.
His report below.
You will recall that on Thursday,
1st June, 2017, I drew your attention to media reports particularly that which
appeared on page 41 of the Nation Newspaper of 31st May, 2017. That report is
credited to the Miyetti Allah, Kautal Hore, a Fulani socio-cultural
association, which held a Press Conference in Abuja to reject the Open Grazing
Prohibition and Establishment of Ranches Law signed by, Governor Samuel Ortom.
2. In the aforesaid report, the
National Secretary of the Association Engr. Saleh Alhassan, sought to justify
the reprehensible, irresponsible and criminal destruction of lives and
properties in Benue State on the grounds that the Fulani herdsmen are the
original inhabitants of the Benue Valley. He claimed that they are engaged in a
lingering crisis with the current inhabitants in the state, particularly the
Tiv, over Natural resources.
Perhaps it is necessary to draw
attention to the summary of the Fulani herdsmen attacks listed hereunder which
led to the general outcry and yearning in the state for a law to curb open
grazing which has been responsible, to a large extent, to these attacks.
Available records indicate that sustained attacks started as far back as 2011
but to save time and space our list starts from 2013. Here is the summary:
TIMELINE OF ATTACKS ON BENUE
STATE FROM 2013 – May 2017
1. February 2013 Fulani Attacked
Agatu burning Inoli, Ologba, olegeje, olegogboche, olegede, Adana, Inminy and
Abugbe communities. Many lives lost.
2. April 23 2013. 10 farmers
killed in an attack on Mbasenge community in Guma LGA by suspected herdsmen.
3. May 7, 2013. 47 mourners
gunned down in Agatu while burying two policemen killed the Tuesday before in
Nassarawa.
4. May 14, 2013. Over 200
herdsmen surround Ekwo-Okpanchenyi, Agatu LGA killing 40 locals.
5. July 5, 2013. 20 people were
killed in a “conflict” between Tiv farmers & herdsmen at Nzorov,Guma LGA,
Benue state.
6. July 31 2013 herdsmen invade 2
villages in Agatu LGA killing 8 villagers allegedly in retaliation for the
killing of 112 cows.
7. November 7, 2013. Attackers
strike at Ikpele & Okpopolo communities killing 7 and displacing over 6000
inhabitants.
8. Nov 9, 2013. 36 locals killed
and 7 villages overrun in an attack by herdsmen on locals in Agatu LGA.
9. Nov 20, 2013. Attack on
communities in Guma LGA, killing 22 locals and destroying properties worth
millions of naira.
10. Jan 20 2014. Gunmen attack
Agatu LGA, killing 5 soldiers and 7 civilians.
11. Jan 20, 2014. Attack on Adeke
village. 3 dead.
12. 20-21 Feb 2014. Herdsmen
attack Gwer West LGA. 35 persons killed. 80,000 displaced. 6 Council Wards
Sacked.
13. Feb 24, 2014. Attack on a Tiv
community along Naka road, Makurdi, killing 8 people.
14. March 6, 2014. 30 killed in
Kwande, Katsina/Ala and Logo LGAs by attackers dressed in military uniforms. 6
villages sacked.
15. March 12, 2014. Raid on Ukpam
village of Mbabaai in Guma LGA. 28 persons killed. Yam barns and farms burnt.
16. March 10, 2014. Former
Governor Suswam’s convoy attacked by herdsmen at Umenger. He and convoy manage an
escape.
17. March 12, 2014. Herdsmen
attack Suswam’s village in Logo LGA. 22 slaughtered. Entire village sacked.
18. March 23, 2014. 25 killed and
over 50 injured by herdsmen said to be bearing sophisticated weapons in
Gbajimba, Guma LGA.
19. March 25, 2014. Police
recover 7 corpses following an attack on Agena village by Herdsmen.
20. March 29, 2014. Herdsmen
attack 4 villages in Agatu LGA. 19 people killed, 15 others abducted.
21. March 29, 2014. Suspected use
of chemical weapons on Shengev community in Gwer West LGA leaving 15 people
dead.
22. March 30, 2014.19 locals
killed and 15 abducted in Agatu LGA.
23. April 10, 2014. Over 100
herdsmen attacked 4 villages in Ukemberaga/Tswarev ward of Logo LG, 6
killed,Properties lost.
24. April 15, 2014. Attack on
Obagaji, Headquarters of Agatu LGA, 12 youths killed.
25. September 10, 2014. Herdsmen
attacked five villages in Ogbadibo LGA leaving scores dead.
26. January 27, 2015. 17 persons
killed in attacks on Abugbe, Okoklo, Ogwule & Ocholoyan in Agatu LGA by
herdsmen.
27. January 30, 2015. Over 100
attackers stormed 5 villages in Logo LGA, killing 9 persons in the attack.
28. March 15, 2015. Egba village
in Agatu LGA sacked by herdsmen,over 90 locals, including women and children
killed.
29. April 27, 2015. 28 persons
killed by herdsmen in attack on 3 villages at Mbadwem, Guma LGA; houses and
farmlands razed.
30. May 11, 2015. Ikyoawen
community in Turan Kwande LGA invaded by herdsmen. 5 persons killed & 8
others wounded.
31. May 24, 2015. 100 killed in
an attack by herdsmen in villages &refugee camps at Ukura, Gafa, Per and
Tse-Gusa, Logo LGA.
32. July 7, 2015. 1 local killed
and several others injured following an attack on mourners in Imande Bebeshi in
Kwande LGA.
33. November 5, 2015. 12 persons
killed, 25 others injured in Buruku LGA following an attack by suspected
herdsmen.
34. Feb 8, 2016. 10 killed and
over 300 displaced in clash between herdsmen and farmers at Tor-Anyiin and
Tor-Ataan in Buruku LGA.
35. Feb 21-24, 2016. Over 500
locals killed and 7000 displaced in an attack on Agatu LGA by fulani herdsmen.
Over 7 villages razed.
36. March 9, 2016. 8 residents
killed by herdsmen in attacks on Ngorukgan, Tse Chia, Deghkia and Nhumbe in
Logo LGA.
37. March 11, 2016. Attack on
Convoy of Senator David Mark by suspected herdsmen in Agatu LGA. No casualty
recorded.
38. March 13, 2016. 6 people
including an APC youth leader killed by herdsmen in an attack on Tarka LGA.
39. February 29, 2016 11 killed
in Edugbeho Agatu LG including a police inspector.
40. March 10, 2016 Two killed in
attack on Obagaji Agatu.
41. March 5, 2016 Houses burnt in
Agatu. Security forces prevented killings.
42. January 24, 2017: 15 persons
were killed by rampaging Fulani herdsmen, who attacked farmers in Ipiga village
in Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State.
43. March 2, 2017: No fewer than
10 persons were killed in a renewed hostility between herdsmen and farmers in
Mbahimin community, Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State.
44. March 11, 2017: Seven people
were killed when herdsmen attacked a Tiv community, Mkgovur village in Buruku
local government area of Benue State.
45. May 8: Three persons were
confirmed killed by herdsmen in Tse-Akaa village, Ugondo Mbamar District of
Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.
46. May 13, 2017: Less than one
week after many people were killed by herdsmen in three communities of Logo
Local Government Area of Benue State, armed herders struck again on May 13
killing eight more people.
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