Crime

Youths on rampage over herdsmen killing in Benue

Published

8 years ago

January 3, 2018

Thousands of youths took to the streets of Makurdi, Benue State capital Wednesday morning to protest the gruesome killing of Tiv framers by Fulani herdsmen.

National Daily gathered that there has been public demonstration across the length and breadth of Makurdi, Benue State, this morning against the killing of Tiv Farmers by Fulani Herdsmen in Guma Local Government Area.

The demonstrators made up mainly of Youths had blocked major highways in the state capital, causing obstructions and preventing the flow of traffic. The rampaging youths set bonfire on the major roads.

Some of the youths marched to Federal Secretariat where federal agencies are located in the state and locked the main gates to the reposes with padlocks, and setting bonfire in the vicinity.

An elder statesman and retired commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, who felt sad about the massacre, observed that the Police were invited to restore order which led to the opening of the gates at the noon time. “So far, the area is now calm and quiet. No serious incident… The demonstrators have gone beyond mere protests to engage in petty thievery of food items displayed for sale. Nigeria we hail Thee,” Tsav declared.

The attack by the Fulani herdsmen was said to have led to the death of about 50 persons.

The herdsmen had invaded local communities in parts of the Guma and Logo Local Government Areas of the state on New Year’s Day.

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The onslaught was said to have been carried over to Tuesday. The herdsmen were said to be protesting the implementation of the anti-open grazing law, which the Fulani herdsmen considered detrimental to their means of livelihood.

The affected communities in the herdsmen invasion included: aGaambe-Tiev, Ayilamo and Turan all in Logo LGA as well as Umenger, Tse-Akor and Tomatar near Tse-Abi in Nongov District of Guma LGA.

The invading herdsmen were said to have attacked Gaambe-Tiev, Ayilamo and Turan villages in Logo LGA on New Year’s Day at the time the people were returning from the New Years’ service.

The assailants were said to have descended on the communities around 9pm on Monday and continued the attack till around 4am on Tuesday, shooting indiscriminately and burning down houses and huts.