50 Killed In Benue New Year's Attack

File: Herdsmen on Rampage. 

No fewer than 50 people including women and children were killed in an attack on two local government areas of Benue state on new year day.

Others involved were members of the Live Stock Guards who were assigned to enforce the anti-open grazing law, while many people were seriously injured.

The injured ones were receiving treatment at the State University Teaching hospital in Makurdi.

The affected communities are Gaambe-Tiev, Ayilamo and Turan all in Logo Local Government Area as well as Umenger, Tse-Akor and Tomatar near Tse-Abi in Nongov District of Guma Local government area.

The herdsmen allegedly invaded  Gaambe-Tiev, Ayilamo, and Turan around  10:00 am on new year day at the time the people were returning from New year morning service.

It was gathered that the invading herdsmen opened fire on everyone in sight.

Around 3:00 am on Tuesday, the herders according to witnesses were said to have invaded Tomatar, in a guerrilla manner knocking on the door of people houses and gruesomely killing them with machetes as soon as they opened for them while they also attacked Umenger and Tse-Akor earlier on New Year’s Day.

Report  says many corpses have been deposited in the morgue. 

Dr. Gajir Hembao Tsoho of the Department of Surgery BSUTH who spoke with newsmen disclosed that over 30 victims of the attack were receiving treatment at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) with many corpses already deposited at the morgue of the hospital already.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) ASP Moses Yamu who confirmed the attack on Tse-Akor village where he said one person died and on ether person missing could however not ascertain the number of casualties from all the affected communities yet.

Meanwhile, Governor Samuel Ortom has described the development as unacceptable and unfair even as he called on the federal government to act fast to protect the lives and property of the Benue people.

The Governor who lamented the gruesome murder of innocent people of the state by the invading herdsmen urged the federal government to act fast on this matter to forestall a break out of anarchy in the state.

While noting that there is no going back on the implementation of the anti-open grazing law which was duly passed in the state, Ortom maintained that the blood of those who had been killed by the herdsmen would cry out to the federal government and to God for vengeance.

“Now these herdsmen are coming to invade the land and sending the people running helter-skelter again after we have started the implementation and everybody received it. Those who wanted to leave left and nobody was attacked. This is not acceptable. We are not going to accept it.

“There is no going back on the implementation of this law. This is our land and the law was duly passed by our people. Now, those people who have been killed, their blood will cry to the federal government and if the federal government doesn’t do something, their blood will cry to the Almighty God and I’m sure that God will deal with the situation Himself.

“This is not fair and it is not acceptable. I think this is where the federal government must come in immediately to stop because these people are known. We heard that they met in one state and gathered together and mobilizing to come to Benue. They passed through roadblocks.

“These people are known people and they have sophisticated weapons. So why have they not been arrested all these while? This is the question we are asking. Does it mean that we should allow the people to take jaws into their hands and also buy guns and begin to kill? Is that what we want? There will be anarchy and nobody knows what will happen thereafter. This is not fair.

“We must rise up. Nigerians must rise up the federal government must rise up to protect us because this is not right. They own the security apparatus. The ones that are here are doing their best but there should be more and that is what we are calling for.

The Governor who confirmed that several people had been killed already by the herdsmen disclosed that nine members of the Live Stock Guards were also murdered by the herdsmen.

“Even amongst the livestock guards who were there to ensure that there are no clashes, nine of them were killed and innocent women and children were killed. This is not fair.”

Input: Nigerian Tribune.