Leaders of the three major ethnic
groups in Benue State, including the Mdzough U Tiv, the ldoma National Forum
and Omi Ny’lgede have aligned themselves with the position of former Chief of
Army Staff, Lt Gen. TY Danjuma’s recent call for self-defence.
Speaking through its chairman,
Chief Edward Ujege, the tribal leaders maintained that they considered the call
by the former Nigerian Army Chief and Minister of Defence as a patriotic
statement that “came from a person who ought to know and who is telling the
truth.”
They maintained that the elder
statesman hardly spoke but for such critical issues that effected the corporate
existence of the country.
According to them, “Gen.
Danjuma’s statement captured what is happenings in Benue State.
“From the year 2010 to 2016,
Benue State experienced excessive bloodshed from Fulani herdsmen attacks. Over
2,000 people were murdered and properties worth N95billion were destroyed in
2014 alone.
“Instead of the Federal
Government and the herdsmen militia accepting and implementing the law, the
herdsmen went on rampage killing 73 people on the 1st and 2nd days of January,
2018.
“Before the senseless murder of
these innocent Benue citizens the Army and security agents were fully informed
and they took no action to prevent the act.
“Benue State Government and her
people called on the Federal Government, the Army and other security agencies
for protection. The Army decided to institute Exercise Ayem A’ Kpatuma (EX-Cat
Race).
“But what is the result of this
military Exercise? Instead of the restoration of peace and security their
presence here in Benue State there are more attacks on the people of the State.
“The number of persons displaced
as a result of the crisis has increased to over 175,000 while all schools in
four or five local governments areas have also been closed down.
“Regrettably, the military have
not stopped further attacks by the herdsmen through the so called Exercise Ayem
A’ Kpatuma. As a result, over 80 people have been killed from January till date
including the 26 people who were brutally murdered in Omusu Edumoga, Okpokwu
local government area of the State.
“As the crisis raged, the
Inspector General of Police publicly directed the seizure of arms from
vigilante groups but failed to disarm the herdsmen militia who go about in the
open.
“Though with the full knowledge
of what is happening in the state the IGP declared the senseless killings in
Benue State as communal clash while no tribe in the state is fighting another.
“The Minister of Defence and the
IGP also attributed the wanton murder of Benue people to the law prohibiting
open grazing in the state.
“But it is also a well known fact
that in states where the law for the establishment of ranches does not exit
herdsmen and their militias are visiting mayhem and genocide on innocent
communities.
“As we speak, the security
agencies have not stopped free passage to AK47 carrying herdsmen to freely
attack and occupy part of Makurdi outskirts, beside Wadata area.
“All these go to confirm the
noble speech made by Gen. Danjuma.
“As we speak also, Benue like
Taraba, Pleteau and other minority states are under siege of marauders herdsmen
with no visible efforts by the Federal Government, the Army or other security
agencies to halt the invasion or senseless killings.
“The Tiv people who are citizens
of Nasarawa state and who their ancestral homes belong to the state, are
attacked, invaded and displaced just because they speak the same language with
the Benue people.
“The Nasarawa State Government,
the Army, other security agents and the Federal Government have done nothing to
return them to their ancestral homes.”
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TV, people has forgotten how TY Danjuma advice OBJ, to lunch genocide attack in zaki biam on TV people. And now they are clapping for him, don't forget he is coming back again
ReplyDeleteThat's the way if the government wouldn't intervene as they ought to.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNo superior tribe, no looking the other way. Everyone deserves justice and in a case where its not given, you seek alternatives. Even if it requires standing and fighting back.
ReplyDelete