*Killings politically motivated — PDP *Survivors say carnage rages on By Emma Ujah, Ben Agande & Peter
Duru MAKURDI—Benue State Police
Commissioner, Paul Yakadi,
yesterday, said over 5,000 cows
accompanied by armed Fulani
herdsmen were occupying part of
Agatu local government area of the state, where about 300 lives were
allegedly lost last week and 7,000
persons displaced. This came as fresh report indicated
that the killing of villagers had
continued unabated despite President
Muhammadu Buhari's directive that a
panel of investigation into the crisis be
established and announcement of the establishment of an inter-agency
security team to forestall further
attacks. Similarly, Benue State chapter of
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,
claimed the killings in Agatu by
suspected Fulani herdsmen weres
politically-motivated because the
people of the area “overwhelmingly voted for Senator David Mark” in the
last senatorial re-run election in
Benue South senatorial District. Yakadi, who led a team of police
officers to assess the besieged
communities, confirmed that seven
villages, including Okokolo, Aila,
Adagbo, Akwu, Omikuidi, Ocholonya
and Odugbeho had been completely deserted. He told newsmen at the Command
Headquarters in Makurdi, that the
invaders stormed Agatu from Naka in
Gwer West local government area of
Benue State, Loco and Doma in
Nasarawa State. According to him: “The worrisome
renewed attack on the Agatu
communities by Fulani herdsmen was
as a result of the alarming influx of the
herdsmen into the area through
neighbouring towns of Naka in Gwer West local government area of Benue
State, Loco and Doma of Nasarawa
State, where cattle are made to swim
across the water to Agatu. The
Command, which was on an
assessment tour of the area few days ago to identify areas that security
needed to be beefed up, discovered
Fulani herdsmen armed with
sophisticated weapons with their cows
numbering over 5,000. “We saw a number of houses that
were either burnt or destroyed and
foodstuffs from these areas were
looted and some were burnt. The
team also discovered that the
following villages; Okokolo, Aila, Adagbo, Akwu, Omikuidi, Ocholonya
and Odugbeho were deserted with no
trace of persons living there while
three corpses were seen in Aila and
Adagbo.” The Police Commissioner, who
claimed the crisis had been brought
under control, said the Police in
conjunction with the state government
and other sister security agencies had
made conscious efforts to monitor and forestall further destruction of lives
and properties in the area. Fresh killings continue Meanwhile, fresh report indicates that
killing villagers in the local
government has continued unabated. A survivor of the alleged killings, Mr.
Ada Ojechi, told Vanguard that news
of Federal and Benue State
governments’ intervention made the
villagers to relax and that many of
those who had earlier fled Odugbeho returned to the village on Sunday. He said, “As we speak, Odigbeho
Agatu has been razed. The massacre
there today had no equal because
Odugbeho is one of the most
important and well-populated villages
in Agatu. ''Our people were caught napping
because we relaxed when we heard
what we considered the cheering
news that the Federal Government
has intervened. “Unfortunately, the Fulanis knew we
had relaxed and took advantage to
unleash a terrible massacre on us. As
we speak, corpses litter everywhere in
the village. Killings politically-motivated Meantime, the state chairman of PDP,
Dr Emmanuel Agbo, has alleged that
the killings in Agatu was politically-
motivated because the people of the
area “overwhelmingly voted for
Senator David Mark” in the last re-run senatorial election in Benue South
senatorial District. Speaking at the PDP headquarters
where he led members of the state
executive council on a solidarity visit
to the national chairman of the PDP, Dr
Agbo alleged that despite the
widespread killings, the government had maintained silence. According to him: “We have witnessed
massive attacks on several
communities in Agatu Local
government area of the state that
have resulted in the loss of hundreds
of lives and properties worth billions of Naira. We have reason to believe that
this recent attack on the Agatu people
was punishment for their resolve to
vote overwhelmingly for Senator
Mark.'' Responding, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff,
promised that he would take up the
issue with the Inspector General of
Police, noting that the party would not
sit by and allow its members to be
intimidated and harassed. He said: “I am going to site to the
inspector General of Police over the
complaints that you have told me. As a
party, I will do everything to ensure
that our rights are not taken for
granted. We will follow this issue to its logical conclusion to make sure that
none of our members is intimidated
and harassed.”

peace please

Look at the way he carries ak47 rifle with confidence.Who is giving these guyz guns?This is unlawful!

When election is close, Benue is seen as one of the nineteen states of the North.

When election is over, Fulani herdsmen are equipped to decimate them.

What a region.

Its amazing how the police suddenly become powerless across the River Niger, up North - its like they are helpless leaving the citizens to their fate.

My lord, see chancing.

The sad part of it,is that most of this people proudly voted change.

The sad part of it,is that most of this people proudly voted change.

All news about fulanis is bad .
Just keyword "Fulani " into Google News
From Central African Republic , Ghana all the way to Togo . These people are not fit to live amongst normal civilised people .
And they form one of the reasons why I want odua states out of the country.
No one should tell me that these violence a are not orchestrated.
Violence is also not one sided . The day others decide to go into the violent mode , the country will be set alight
Boycott beef and eat fish and poultry.