By Amos Aar
BENUE State governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has explained that the killing of seven (7) persons in Gbagir Community, Tyuluv council ward of Ukum LGA of the state on March 5, 2024 was as a reprisal attack following cattle rustling by a militia group in the community.
Mr Tersoo Kula, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Alia, said the governor made the disclosure on Friday when he went for an on-site assessment of the crisis area in Ityulugh District at Gbajir Community of Ukum LGA, where armed herders attacked residents of the area.
Kula quoted his principal as saying that the major casualties of the attack were members of the militia with a few civilian casualties, saying “it called for question why only that particular village and house was singled out for attack”.
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The governor called on politicians inciting alleged violence and sponsoring militia gangs to refrain from the act and allow the state and local government to take charge of the security in the area.
He said a 14-day ultimatum was given to herders to leave Benue State and that while the herders were leaving, a militia group allegedly attacked the herders, kidnapped some of them and rustled sixty-one (61) cattle, adding that although ransom was paid, only 2 people were released which led to the reprisal attack by the armed herders
Kula said the governor scolded the youths for allegedly rustling the cattle and kidnapping the herders as they were moving out of the state in compliance with the 14-day ultimatum, saying that they should have realized the implication of their actions, and that a lot would have been averted only if the herders had been allowed to retreat peacefully, but their actions had now resulted in putting innocent people in harm’s way.
He called on vigilante groups to be on alert and continue to play their roles so that there will be peace in the area and farmers will return to their farmlands to ensure food stability in the state.
Alia also tasked the Ter Ukum to meet with his chiefs to find out the best approach to handle the situation, and to also caution those fanning the embers of violence in the area to desist forthwith, or else drastic measures will be taken by his government.
He cautioned local and national politicians to stop politicising the crisis of insecurity in the state.
“If you are sponsoring any militia gang, which some of them are, as the traditional leaders have pointed out, let them step back. Their communities, the families in their local governments here are larger than them.
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“The person that went out there to cry wolf has to come back and answer to his traditional rulers, tender apologies to me as the governor of the state, and then to the entire people of the state,” Alia said.
He queried why the senator representing Benue North East Senatorial District, Emmanuel Memga Udende, had not presented all the facts that led to the buildup to the crisis in his area, saying that Hon. Udende is from the area, and knows most of the young men there, and is also aware of the real reason why the 2 militia groups were fighting, and called on the senator to expose whoever was sponsoring the militia groups in his area.
Kula also quoted the Ter Ukum and chairman, Ukum Traditional Council, HRH Architect Orkaa Kaave, to have said earlier that the attack took place at the Ityulugh council ward at the residence of the district head, Deuti Adzande, on Tuesday morning.
The Ter Ukum, while explaining the buildup to the crisis, disclosed that on Saturday/Sunday of last week, he had received reports of herders’ influx into the local government, which he reported to the appropriate authorities.
According to him, as the number of herders grew to an alarming rate, he was later informed that a youth from the area called Chen had offended the herders by rustling 61 of their cows and also kidnapped some of their men, and collected ransom but later refused to release them.
The Divisional Police Officer of Gbeji, led by the herders were able to recover their cattle in Ityulugh District, but after paying ransom for the release of the 4 kidnapped herders, only 2 were released by Chen, which inevitably led to the attack by the armed herders.
“The Ter Ukum was of the belief that the house of the district head was attacked because the herders felt he was shielding the culprits, as no other place was attacked in Ukum apart from the district head’s residence, where they recovered their cow,” Kula stated.
On his part, the caretaker chairman of Ukum LGC, Hon. Victor Iorzaa, said that he was informed that herders were attacking the village, and he called the DPO and they came and saw the destruction and casualties on ground.
He further explained that the attack was carried out by armed herders in collusion with a local Militia group, who attacked their rival gang over the killing of one of the herders, which resulted to casualties recorded and displacement of the locals from the area.
