Police deployed to Nasarawa villages after Sunday bloodbath

.15 feared killed, police confirm 7 dead

.Fulani, Agatu trade allegations

.Agatu leader denies Benue link

.Ortom holds peace meeting

The people police in Nasarawa State say normalcy has returned to Udeni Ruwa District in Nasarawa-Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State after an attack on two of its  communities  by gunmen early Sunday, January 3, 2016 which led to the death of many farmers.
Though our correspondent gathered that no fewer than 15 people were killed, the state police command confirmed the death of seven people and the burning of houses by the invaders who were supposedly on a reprisal.

Daily Trust gathered that the gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen took the villagers by surprise when they stormed and unleashed terror which left at least 15 farmers dead.
Five of those killed were believed to have drowned in a river while trying to flee the area  which borders Benue State.
Spokesman of the command, Ismaila Umaru, told our correspondent that the suspected herders may have attacked the villages based on an earlier allegation that they found one of their men dead while two remained missing in addition to the killing of their cows in the area dominated by Agatu natives.
Umaru said policemen had been deployed to quell the crisis even as he expressed optimism that peace had returned and residents had gone back home. He assured that the command, apart from using other safe methods to promote harmony between the warring sides, had also engaged community-based approach to ensure that everyone stays out of trouble.
Meanwhile, the state secretary of the Myetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Mohammed Useni, when contacted, denied knowledge of the identity of the attackers even though he admitted that trouble started brewing between his people and the Agatu a few weeks ago.
“Trouble started at the Benue border with Nassarawa State along the river Benue some few weeks now because Fulani youths were prevented from crossing over to Benue by Agatu youths to graze their cattle. Some of our animals were shot dead by the Agatu militants and our men were killed,” he said.
Useni added that they reported the matter to the appropriate authorities and while they were at a joint peace meeting called by the government that day, news filtered in that the two communities of Udeni Ruwa were under attack.
“And so, I wouldn’t know who the gunmen that killed the 15 farmers were,” he added. He however alleged that the Agatu in Benue State had conspired with their counterparts in Nasarawa to kill two Fulani people on Tuesday after the government and traditional rulers invited them to talk to their people on the need to maintain peace.
“We are doing everything to bring calm among our people just as investigation into the matter is going on”, he said. Efforts to reach the Agatu people for comment did not yield result at the time of filing this report.
Useni’s counterpart in Benue, Barrister Garus Gololo, said the allegation of Agatu people conspiring in both states to harm herders was raised at a security meeting with Governor Samuel Ortom in Otukpo on Monday and findings showed that Agatu youths in Benue were not involved in the attack. Gololo said the matter concerned youths from Nasasarwa. Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State early this week held another security meeting with stakeholders in Idoma at the Ochi’Idoma’s palace in Otukpo.
It was at the meeting that Ortom also disclosed his intention to extend the amnesty programme granted armed youths in the state to the Idoma speaking South Senatorial District. The governor’s decision followed a request from the Idoma Traditional Council for the extension. Security agencies have expressed concern on illegal arms in the hands of youths in the state.
Ortom maintained that his administration would do everything possible to ensure peace in all parts of the state. He warned youths still keeping arms in the area to voluntarily turn them in and be reintegrated into the society as failure to do so would leave the government with no other option than to go after them. The governor said he was in Otukpo to hold the second security meeting with the stakeholders in the area within a short time because of his commitment to ensure peace in the state.
He described the persistent clashes between herdsmen and farmers in Agatu, Ado, Ohimini and other parts of the zone as unacceptable and advised both sides to allow peace to reign. Responding, the Ochi’ Idoma, Chief Elias Ikoyi Obekpa, thanked the governor for his efforts and prayed God to give  him greater wisdom to serve the state.  He appealed to youths in the area to embrace the amnesty programme and surrender arms in their possession.

 DAILY TRUST

Feel Free To Comments Here...