Farmers in Benue State, on Friday pleaded with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately deployed troops to their communities to flush out armed herdsmen bandits to end years of attacks and killings in order for them to go back to their farms.
The farmers, particularly those from Logo, Gwer-West, Agatu, Makurdi, Ado and Kwande Local Government Areas of the state also extended same plea to Governor Hyacinth Alia to come to their aid, saying they are having sleepless nights and haven’t been able to go to their farms, which is their major source of livelihood in recent years over the recalcitrant activities of the bandits to fend for their families.
Some farmers from those local government areas who spoke to New Telegraph separately, lamented what they called the “persistent attacks and wanton killing of innocent people by armed herdsmen without any arrest and prosecution”.
A farmer in Gwer-West, Asamber Tyoakaa, said he lost some family members, his home set ablaze alongside food items in one of the attacks a development that has thrown him into hardship.
On his part, a 47-year-old farmer in Agatu local government, James Idakwo, blamed the recalcitrant attacks and killings on the lackadaisical posture of the federal government to rise up to her responsibility of protecting the lives and property of the people.
Idakwo said that the people may resort to self-help to fight their battles if the government continues to remain adamant to confront the situation headlong.
A community leader in the local government and farmer, Mr. Lawrence Akerigba, told New Telegraph that the terrorists, in a recent invasion, ambushed farmers and killed farmers along Waya-Kashimbila road leaving two dead and injuring others.
Mr. Akerigba said those wounded are receiving treatment in the hospital.
According to him, the unending attacks and killings has pushed the inhabitants out of their ancestral homes as their houses farms and livestock among other things have been taken over by the bandits.
Mr. Akerigba identified some of those killed to included: Terhide Asom and one Ashongo, with a few of those wounded include Tyover Tsavwua, Lubem Shor, adding that the matter had been reported to the police.
He opined that the security agencies drafted to the area to help quell the crisis would have contained it but have allegedly compromised and “their presence is no longer impactful”.
Also bearing his mind, the councillor representing Moon council ward, Hon. Dennis Ubi, condemned the attack, describing it as barbaric and a grand plot to seize the land naturally given to the inhabitants by God.
Hon. Ubi lamented that each time the local inhabitants report any incidence of attack to the police for necessary action, they complain of not having logistics to carry out patrol to repel attacks.
“Each time the attack is carried out and the matter reported to the police, the police would demand not less that N100, 000 before they can go and confront the invaders to enable us recover the dead bodies of our people”.
He said at the moment, no one in the area is safe and not going to the farms as anyone seen on the farm is outrightly killed by the herdsmen.
On his part, leader of Turan Consultative Forum (TCF), Dr. Dennis Ayaga, lamented the intractable massacre of innocent people of the area since 2012, which he said has affected several other communities including Anyiase and the densely populated Jato-Aka among others settlements areas.
Dr. Ayaga commended the Federal Government for providing security the secure the lives of the people, and solicited support for the deployment of more troops to contain the situation.
“We don’t have food to eat, and feed our families, the little we manage to have, has been destroyed by the herdsmen each time they come to attack us. So this is our plight. Enough is enough”, he added.
The people said the state government appears to be handicapped in handling security issues and appealed to the federal government to consider the deployment of troops to their communities as the only panacea towards bringing the situation under control.
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