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The Federal Government has unveiled a newly constructed 40 million-dose capacity solar-powered strategic vaccine storage facility in Sheda, along the Abuja-Lokoja Road in the Federal Capital Territory. The facility, built through the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project with support from the World Bank, was inaugurated on Wednesday by the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Saturday pledged to secure the release of all remaining hostages and eliminate Hamas following the return of three captives in severely weakened condition. The hostages—Eli Sharabi, Or Levy, and Ohad Ben Ami—were handed over to the Red Cross in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, on Saturday after being held for 16 months.
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Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Saturday pledged to secure the release of all remaining hostages and eliminate Hamas following the return of three captives in severely weakened condition. The hostages—Eli Sharabi, Or Levy, and Ohad Ben Ami—were handed over to the Red Cross in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, on Saturday after being held for 16 months.
The renewed attacks on Benue communities have raised fresh concerns among natives and stakeholders. This comes amid revelation by the member representing Kwande/Ushongo federal constituency of Benue State, Hon. Terseer Ugbor that armed Fulani herdsmen had taken over 40% of farmlands in the state. The lawmaker, who disclosed this during an interactive chat with journalists,
Benue: Locals, stakeholders groan as herders overrun communities
The renewed attacks on Benue communities have raised fresh concerns among natives and stakeholders.
This comes amid revelation by the member representing Kwande/Ushongo federal constituency of Benue State, Hon. Terseer Ugbor that armed Fulani herdsmen had taken over 40% of farmlands in the state.
The lawmaker, who disclosed this during an interactive chat with journalists, raised concern over fresh attacks by Fulani militias which has led to the killing and displacement of several persons in Kwande LGA.
He said, “The major problem with this issue is the food insecurity that it is going to bring especially on our people in Benue and Nigeria as a whole because as of the last information we have, over 40 percent of the arable farmlands in Benue State have been taken over by the Fulani bandits”.
Hon Ugbor recalled the attack by Fulani herdsmen during the 2024 Christmas on Kwande Local Government, which is a border community with Cameroon.
He said it got so bad that the bandits had the audacity to attack an immigration outpost and the only standing security presence in the community with Cameroon and burnt it down.
Ugbor revealed that, “The immigration outpost did not necessarily have equipment or arms to defend itself.”
Apart from the attack on Kwande council area, six persons were also killed by suspected herdsmen in Okpamaju community of Okete Ward and Asa settlement of Ewulo Ward of Otukpo Local Government Area of the State.
The incident, which occurred during a hunting expedition in the community, also forced women and children to flee from the affected communities for fear of being killed by the rampaging herdsmen.
Confirming the attacks, the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene described the violence as caused by alleged open grazing on a farm in the area.
According to her, the villagers complained about grazing on their farms, which subsequently led to the clash that claimed two lives.
DAILY POST reports that Benue State has been under attack by suspected herdsmen in the last decade.
Just by this time last year, armed herdsmen caused a rampage in the Adoka district of the same Otukpo LGA, killed scores of people and destroyed farm produce worth millions of naira.
Although the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia said it had substantially addressed the violence, however, incidents of killing of farmers have continued, with most villagers living at the mercy of the armed herders.
Reacting to the incident, the Benue State House of Assembly called on the State Government to take immediate and decisive action to end the genocide in the area as well as deploy security agencies to restore peace and other.
This followed a motion of urgent public importance by a member representing Otukpo/ Apa State Constituency Hon. Kennedy Angbo, who informed the House of the incident.
Contributing, Deputy Speaker Hon. Mrs Lami Dalandi said the invasion by herdsmen had caused havoc to several people in the State, urging the State government to take proactive measures.
Similarly, the Idoma community in the diaspora, comprising concerned citizens residing in the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Vietnam, and other parts of the world, has decried the continued spate of killings by suspected herdsmen across Idoma land.
The President of the group, Edwin Ochai, in a statement, decried the silence of the relevant authorities over the menace.
He said the reluctance of the relevant authorities and leaders to decisively address the menace was unacceptable, calling on all Benue South leaders, political, traditional, and religious to wake up to their responsibilities and end the nagging killings ravaging the land for years.
“What began in Agatu Local Government Area has tragically spread to Apa, Otukpo, and other parts of Benue South, leaving a trail of bloodshed, destruction and despair.
“The most recent attack in Okpamaju, a hitherto peaceful community in Otukpo LGA, has claimed the lives of several innocent villagers, reduced homes to ashes, and shattered families.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the deafening silence and inaction of our leaders at all levels: local government chairmen, state legislators, federal representatives, and the senator representing Benue South.
”Their reluctance to decisively address this menace is unacceptable. Issuing routine press statements to condemn these atrocities is no longer enough. Words without meaningful action are ineffective.
“It is particularly disheartening that the Benue State Government appears indifferent to the plight of Benue South. Are we no longer part of Benue State? The indifference of the state government to the plight of our people is a betrayal of the very essence of governance, which is to protect lives and property,” he said.
Speaking to DAILY POST, the lawmaker representing the Otukpo-Akpa in the Benue State House of Assembly, Kennedy Angbo lamented the attacks in his constituency which had left many injured, and communities burnt down.
Angbo said the attacks had threatened public peace in the general area, including academic activities at the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, where students have been living in fear.
“The armed herders who were relatively new in Okpomaju community, saw the hunters in the bush and mistook them for enemies and opened fire on them, killing two on the spot while several others sustained varying degrees of injury.
“The news of the incident filtered into the community and there was pandemonium. The people, particularly women and children, started fleeing for safety to neigbouring communities.
“Even in Ugboju District, also in Otukpo LGA, farmers in Akpachi, Oboh and neighbouring communities have abandoned their farms for fear of being killed by the herdsmen who are intimidating them with gunshots,” he lamented.
We are now at the mercy of herders – Locals
One of the farmers, Sunday Oga, who spoke to reporters in tears said he was chased from his farm by a herder who was carrying a gun and a machete, leaving his harvested yams and other farm produce at the mercy of cattle.
Also, one of the hunters in Okpomaju who narrowly escaped death said, “we were out on our usual hunting exercise when we encountered a hostile group of Fulani herdsmen who opened fire immediately they sited us, causing fatal injuries on some of us.
“Expectedly, we fired back and felled one of them while others started retreating.
“But we lost two of our colleagues while another who was hit in the belly was rushed to the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital Otukpo for medical attention.”
The paramount ruler of Otukpo, Och’Otukpo Odu, Chief John Eimonye stated that he had scheduled a meeting with the leader of the herdsmen to find a solution to the crisis.
The monarch, however, denied the allegation that the herdsmen became emboldened because they paid monies to the Chiefs and locals for grazing land in the area.
“I have scheduled a meeting with the leaders of the herders to proffer a lasting solution to this problem in Otukpo and its environs. Also, the insinuation that the herdsmen pay a certain amount of money to graze in land is a big fat lie trying to tarnish the image of our people,” the royal father said.
Speaking to DAILY POST, the Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Council, Ogiri, condemned the attack, calling on the federal government to do everything it can to nip in the bud the ugly incident.
He said security agents, including soldiers and the police had been deployed to the troubled Okpomaju community to protect the residents and forestall further breakdown of law and order.
“It’s true that despite all our efforts, the Okpomaju village was attacked and some people were killed.
“However, security operatives, including soldiers and policemen, have been drafted to the community to restore peace,” the council chairman said.
According to him, some of the measures included the resolve of the leaders of the herdsmen to fish out any of their kinsmen on a mission to instigate a crisis in the area.
He said: “They also promised to forge harmonious relationships with the Otukpo people because most of them were born and brought up in Otukpo.”
A resident of the affected community, who craved anonymity, told DAILY POST that the hunters were at home when the herders stormed and started shooting indiscriminately, killing one person while others fled to bushes.
“The attack was unprovoked as the hunters were at home at Okpomaju when the armed herders, numbering 12, stormed the village with sophisticated guns, shooting indiscriminately.
“In the process, they killed Peter, popularly known as JPG and Moses, while others ran in different directions into the nearby bushes with gunshots.
“So far, we have recovered three dead bodies from those who ran to the bush making a total of five. The fifth was recovered near the Odudaje stream.
“As I speak with you, we are at the graveside, burying one of the victims, and are awaiting the other bodies from the mortuary,” he said.
Another local said the development forced residents of the neighbouring communities, such as Odudaje, Amla, Emichi and Otukpo-Icho, among others, to flee their communities.
He said, “For fear of being killed, no one in the neighbouring communities is at home any more.
“They have all run and left their ancestral homes. This is undesirable and unacceptable.
“The government should without delay do something to forestall the recurrence of this incident. Farming season is staring us in the face. If these people whose major occupation is farming are displaced, how would they survive?” He queried.
Benue: Locals, stakeholders groan as herders overrun communities
A lawyer and public affairs analyst, Justice Osai Ahiakwo, has hailed the ongoing discussions around the reintroduction of regional government structures by the Nigerian government. He, however, advised against favoring politicians with enormous financial gains when the system is eventually legalized. Ahiakwo, who gave this advice in a statement issued in Calabar, the capital of
Regional govts should de-emphasize financial gains for politicians – Lawyer
A lawyer and public affairs analyst, Justice Osai Ahiakwo, has hailed the ongoing discussions around the reintroduction of regional government structures by the Nigerian government.
He, however, advised against favoring politicians with enormous financial gains when the system is eventually legalized.
Ahiakwo, who gave this advice in a statement issued in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, stated that for the regional system of government to improve the living standards of the people, the focus must be highly emphasized.
He cautioned, “The policy for restructuring Nigeria must de-emphasize financial gains for politicians. They must not be paid humongous salaries and allowances.”
Ahiakwo disclosed that the basic problem in the current system lies with politicians elected or appointed into positions of trust, who make the cost of governance in Nigeria unbearable.
According to him, the regional system of government is seen as a possible solution to economic growth in the country, one that would promote harmonious coexistence.
He advised that to achieve true federalism, there must be a well-defined legal framework to reduce the overbearing power and control at the center.
He advocated for 50% resource control and the establishment of state policing, with clear operational duties codified.
According to him, “The current system, where the center retains 52.68% and has a central policing system, is no longer tenable.”
The lawyer believes that if the government sincerely pursues the restructuring of Nigeria, the unity and diversity of the nation will potentially project the people’s greatness predetermined by providence.
He added that the conversation initiated by President Bola Tinubu’s administration on regional government will leave a lasting legacy in Nigerian history.
Regional govts should de-emphasize financial gains for politicians – Lawyer
