Herdsmen attack journalist in Nasarawa
From ROSE EJEMBI, Makurdi
Sunday, March 11, 2012



• Photo: The Sun Publishing
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Hir Joseph, the Nasarawa State correspondent of Media Trust, publishers of Daily Trust, Weekly Trust, Sunday Trust and Aminiya, could have been dead by now, but for divine intervention. The vehicle he was traveling in on Thursday night was attacked by armed Fulani herdsmen at Kadarko, a town along Lafia-Makurdi Road in Nasarawa.

It’s not yet clear why the armed Fulani herdsmen decided to unleash terror on the town but Sunday Sun gathered from reliable sources that the gunmen carried
out a reprisal attack on the town, after Tiv peasants reportedly “killed their people” earlier in the day.

Sunday Sun gathered that the suspected Fulani nomads numbering over 20, had gone on rampage sacking the sleepy town of Kadarko, which market was just closing at about 7pm.
It was also learnt that the Fulani herdsmen had first attacked the police post in the area before
carrying out the gun raid on the market, allegedly killing many and leaving many other innocent persons injured.
Sources said that at least nine persons, including a police officer, were killed in the raid which made hundreds of people fleeing the troubled area for fear of being caught in the melee.

Narrating his ordeal to Sunday Sun in Makurdi, Hir Joseph said he had picked a drop from Keffi, at about 4:20pm to Makurdi after he received directives from his editors for him to rush to Benue and cover the bloody clash between Tiv peasants and Fulani nomads in Gwer-West area of the state.

He disclosed further that the vehicle he boarded ran into an ambush laid by the suspected Fulani gunmen who carried out the raid on Kadarko, at about 7:30pm.
“The gunmen, who brandished weapons including firearms and machetes, stormed into the road, about a kilometer to Kadarko, and hailed the vehicle to a stop.”
“We saw men run into the road, and placed themselves in our way, aiming shots at our vehicle. The driver broke to a stop, and attempted to engage a reverse gear, but it was too late. The gunmen were already all over our vehicle, screaming orders in Hausa. They banged hard on the vehicle, raising their weapons at us. They first demanded to know if there was any Tiv in the vehicle.

“The driver raised his voice, screaming there was none. He said ‘Igala’, repeatedly, calming down our attackers, who at this time, began to make a second demand: that we should hand-over all in our possession. They forced their hands into the driver’s breast pocket, and picked his money. At that time, I was trying to take out what I had in my jeans pocket, to hand to them, too. But one of them, impatient, rushed at my side, and forced the passenger’s car open. He pulled me out, unto the ground, with the others kicking at me.
“They slapped me with the blade of a machete, and forced their hands into my pockets, taking my GSM phone and cash. At this time, the driver got some space, and he zoomed off with the car, leaving me in the hands of our attackers.
“Done with me, the gunmen ordered I should rise and run fast. I obeyed, taking the direction towards Kadarko. But after a short distance from them, I stopped from exhaustion, and stood to watch how they continued their attack on other vehicles. I said to myself that there was no need running further. If they wanted, they would have killed me. I knelt to say a short prayer, thanking God for another miracle in my life. I continued, and trekked a kilometer plus, to Kadarko, where some good Samaritans helped me secure a seat in a crowded vehicle, to Makurdi.
“That is my story: the story of a journalist traveling to report a violent clash, and only ending up attacked in the same crisis which was just beginning to spill into the next state”, Hir said.

Meanwhile, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in charge of Benue State, Alaribe Ejike an ASP confirmed that there was crisis in the said area but stated that the area was outside the jurisdiction of Benue Police Command. ASP Ejike disclosed further that people were leaving the trouble area en mass for fear of reprisal attacks.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2012/mar/11/national-11-03-2012-005.html

the media is always quiet when fulani are murdered, and only start to write against fulani when something happens even if it is self defense

its clear that fulanis are the bloodiest and blood thirsty tribe in nigeria.

very soon their over filled cup will.

their forefather goes on a killing rampage to his kind hausa hosts, till now his descendants continues the trend.

but the bitter question is "why are fulani's always kill their kind hosts" ?

you celebrate about reprisal against fulani community like today In jos, i support herdsmen who do everything to protect themselves, we talking about survival

turn here . . . .fulani.
turn there . . . fulani

@POST

There are three threads in counting that have highlighted the clashes between Fulani and Tiv in three states namely Nassarawa, Benue and Taraba states. The Fulani and Tiv are indigenous natives to this states named.

Dede1: @POST

There are three threads in counting that have highlighted the clashes between Fulani and Tiv in three states namely Nassarawa, Benue and Taraba states. The Fulani and Tiv are indigenous natives to this states named.

didn't i school you enough? fulanis are not indigeneous in benue. even in taraba they are only in girei local govt.

torkaka:
didn't i school you enough? fulanis are not indigeneous in benue. even in taraba they are only in girei local govt.

You are an imbecilic teacher who thinks Obasanjo’s draconian boundary adjustment is a final arbiter on who is or not an indigene of a state. I guess you must be a fool forever if you think the Fulani or Hausa in those states will disappear into the air. You could try ethnic cleansing though.

Dede1:


You are an imbecilic teacher who thinks Obasanjo’s draconian boundary adjustment is a final arbiter on who is or not an indigene of a state. I guess you must be a fool forever if you think the Fulani or Hausa in those states will disappear into the air. You could try ethnic cleansing though.

instead of resulting to insults you should do well to educate me how obasanjo's boundary adjustment affected the hausa fulani in benue cause the last i checked the bordered by alagao,eggon and bayaje in nassarawa, igbos in enugu and ebonyi, tivs (yes tivs) in taraba,ogoja in cross rivers!
you seem to lack a thinking and reasoning faculty! i can swear by anything you have never been to either nasarawa,benue,taraba or kogi hence your total display of ignorance! even in nasarawa they're no indigeneous fulani! in taraba they're found in girei northern taraba near adamawa.
once again I DARE YOU TO NAME FULANI LOCAGOVTS IN EITHER BENUE OR NASARAWA!!
damn are you this dumb?