At least three communities in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State came under simultaneous attacks on Wednesday by gunmen, which forced residents to flee in droves.
The communities – Emichi, Okpomaju and Odudaje – were invaded barely 24 hours after a deadly assault on Otobi village that claimed about 13 lives, including children.
Witnesses narrated terrifying experiences even as most of the people, including women and children, have fled their homes to the main town of Otukpo for safety.
Several persons, according to residents, sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to different hospitals.
The chairman of Otukpo LGA, Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the fresh assaults, stating that the attacks occurred while the Benue State Commissioner of Police, Steve Yabnet, was on a visit to the Ochidoma palace.
He noted that security operatives responded swiftly and forced the attackers to retreat.
“The attacks have persisted in these communities, leading to the displacement of women and children. Only young men were left behind when the assailants struck on Wednesday,” Ogiri said.
He also disclosed that three people sustained injuries, adding that security personnel had been deployed to stabilise the affected areas.
11 bodies recovered from Otobi attack
Meanwhile, Governor Hyacinth Alia has condemned the Tuesday attack on Otobi village, after which 11 bodies were recovered as of Wednesday morning.
The governor confirmed the arrest of three suspected herders in connection with the Otobi killings.
Addressing journalists in Makurdi, Governor Alia said the National Security Adviser (NSA) had assured of additional deployment of security personnel to the troubled areas.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Deputy Governor, Barr. Sam Ode, visited Otobi on behalf of the governor, where he offered relief support to the devastated residents and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to restore peace.
Benue communities reeling from deadly attacks
Residents in Benue State, particularly along the Otukpo-Ado road corridor that links the state to Ebonyi, have raised alarm over increasing insecurity and recurring attacks in several local government areas.
In recent weeks, communities in Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA) have suffered a series of violent incidents.
On February 6, eight local hunters were killed in Okpamaju during a coordinated attack.
Also, three individuals were killed in the Asa community, while several others were kidnapped in the same incident that occurred on April 1.
Two days after, on April 3, three occupants of a Benue Links commercial vehicle, including the driver, were killed in an ambush along Otukpo road.
The deadliest attack happened on Tuesday, April 15, during which 13 people were killed in the Otobi community, deepening the state’s security crisis.
These escalating incidents have left many residents in fear and uncertainty, with calls intensifying for a stronger security presence and swift government intervention to restore peace in the affected areas.
Ranching is the way forward – Och’Otukpo
The traditional head of the Otukpo kingdom, Och’Otukpo, Chief John Eyimonye, urged the state and federal governments to implement ranching prototypes which herders can adopt.
Speaking in an interview with our correspondents in Otukpo on Wednesday, Eyimonye said ranching is the best solution to the conflict between pastoralists and farming communities.
He said, “The recent surge in kidnapping is unprecedented. Among the few individuals arrested so far, some were of Fulani origin.
“In one instance, the community simply asked them to move away with their cattle, and they complied peacefully. I don’t think anyone was harmed during that encounter. That’s why the recent attack is so shocking – we can’t understand why it happened.
“On what the people should do, I believe they must first understand the kind of individuals living around them. It’s possible some of them don’t even know who the Fulani are.
“As a veterinary doctor with nearly 49 years of experience – and having worked on some of the best ranches globally, including in Australia, I can say that ranching is the way forward. But it’s not just about policy; attitude is a major factor.
“The government should implement ranching prototypes – small, medium and large-scale models that herders can adopt. These people have lived all their lives allowing their cattle to roam freely. If you suddenly tell them to stop without offering an alternative, confusion is inevitable.
“The government must initiate pilot projects to demonstrate how ranching can work. At the same time, communities must also be prepared to defend themselves.”
Meanwhile, Edwin Emma who narrowly escaped the Otobi mayhem described the attack as sudden and brutal.
He urged the government and security forces to intervene swiftly.
Angela Udoh, whose relatives living in Otobi were affected, told our correspondent that seeing the butchered bodies of children recovered from the Otobi attack would traumatise her for a very long time.
We’re willing to work with govt – MACBAN
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has expressed willingness to work with local communities and the state government to address the growing insecurity.
MACBAN chairman in Benue State, Mohammed Risku, said their offer to form joint peace committees in Otukpo has allegedly been rejected by community leaders.
Risku, in a recent press briefing in Makurdi, appealed for dialogue while claiming that some Fulani settlements and livestock had come under attack from local vigilante groups formed by Governor Alia’s administration.
Risku called on traditional leaders and security agencies to involve Fulani youth in community policing to help weed out criminal elements.
“We’ve formed peace committees in Apa, Agatu and Adoka, and those areas are now relatively calm. We want to replicate this success in Otukpo, but the community has rejected the idea, insisting they no longer want us around.
“As the leader of the Fulani, I was only appointed, but I don’t have the right to order my people out of the area,” he said.
Risku, who accused Civil Protection Guards of destroying Fulani settlements and killing herders and livestock in Otukpo, Agatu and Apa, said the guards have fuelled unrest in the areas in recent times.
“If we are allowed to participate in the fight against banditry, I believe we can flush out the bad eggs. But if the community refuses our offer, there’s little we can do,” he said.
He appealed for intervention from the governor and traditional rulers to prevent reprisal attacks, adding that his family’s deep roots in Idoma land could be traced to his great-grandfathers who lived and died in the area.
“I’ve been urging my people not to take the law into their hands. Since Governor Alia took office, we’ve enjoyed peace, and we want it to continue. We’re calling on the chairman of Otukpo LGA, security agencies and traditional leaders to sit with us for dialogue,” he said.
Efforts to obtain comments from the Benue State Police Command were unsuccessful as calls and text messages to the spokeswoman, CSP Catherine Anene, went unanswered.
David Mark seeks arrest of perpetrators
Former President of the Senate, David Mark, has condemned attacks on Otobi-Akpa, Emichi in Otukpo Local Government Area and Utonkon in Ado Local Government Area in Benue by armed men.
This is contained in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Paul Mumeh, issued in Kano on Wednesday.
He said no fewer than 15 people were reported killed during the invasion by armed men on Tuesday night in Otobi-Akpa, Emichi and Utonkon communities.
Mark said enough is enough of the incessant attacks that have left in its trail scores of deaths and properties destroyed.
He said it was time the communities began to organise themselves into vigilante groups to halt further invasion by the murderers.
Mark tasked security operatives to rise up to the challenge to arrest the perpetrators and bring them to justice forthwith.
“The situation in parts of Benue today cannot be said to be ordinary or accidental.
“It seems to me that it is an organised and premeditated action. We can no longer stand to watch our people being killed needlessly for no just cause.
“Inasmuch as our people should accommodate others in our communities, we must, as a matter of necessity, differentiate between legitimate residents and invaders,” he said.
He, however, urged the people to remain calm and cooperate with security operatives in the task of restoring peace and order in the troubled communities.
(Daily trust)
