Against the backdrop of the incessant killings by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herders in Benue State, which have left no fewer than 400 dead in three weeks, President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered security agencies in the state to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to book.
He also decried the use of terrorism as a tool in inter-communal conflicts in the state.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, pointed out that the President said all efforts be made to end the ‘extreme violence.’’
Africa Today News, New York gathered that apart from last week’s incidents, which left over 100 dead, nearly 300 had been killed in the last three weeks.
The state has witnessed unprecedented attacks on several communities by suspected armed herdsmen, which also left several many injured.
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The worst hit in the recent attacks is communities in the Benue South District, the home of the Idoma-speaking people.
Apa, Agatu, and Otukpo axis of the area accounts for the majority of the casualties.
Several sources in the communities said Apa Local Government Area, LGA, alone recorded over 250 deaths while no fewer than 75 persons lost their lives in Otukpo LGA within this period.
Agatu LGA, which used to be the epicentre of herders’ incursions in Benue South, recorded minimal attacks with about 30 casualties.
Other places affected include Ikpobi, Odugbo, Ugbobi Akpanta, Ologba, Oyiji and Imana in Apa LGA. Oshigbudu Atakpa and Okpagabi in Agatu were also not spared.
Concerned by the bloodletting, Buhari directed the secret services, police and military commanders to enhance surveillance on every front and to immediately review the security management in the affected areas.
‘The President condemned the use of terrorism as a tool in inter-communal conflicts, urging that the attackers be found and dealt with swiftly under the law.
‘He conveyed his grief and sympathy to the families of those who lost their lives due to the attack and directed the secret services, police and military commanders to enhance surveillance on every front and to immediately review the security management in the affected areas.’Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those murdered. The entire nation stands united in the fight against the forces of terror and evil,” said the President,’’ Shehu quoted the President to have said.