By Amos Aar
SIXTEEN persons have been reported killed and many injured between Monday and Tuesday this week by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen at Tse-Angbeghe Udam, Aondoana and Agbanu Seghev/Ukuse in Gwer West local government area of Benue State.
Chairman of Gwer West Local Government Council, Hon. (Mrs) Grace Igbabon, who confirmed the attacks in an interview with journalists on Tuesday at Government House, Makurdi, said the bodies of victims have been deposited in the mortuary.
She said local mortuary in the area “is filled up with bodies of small children killed in the attack. She said some of the bodies were burnt beyond recognition because the assailants set a house ablaze when the families had had retired to bed.
“You know they ran away from their killers and still they went and met their death where they took refuge. You can see me dressed like this; I’m just coming from the mortuary. The Adviser called me that the governor wants to see me immediately and I had to leave the mortuary straight to this place from the village,” Hon Igbabon said.
Asked what her leadership was doing about the killings of her people, the helpless Chairman responded: “What authority do I have? I don’t have the powers; I am not in control of the security; the security is under the control of another person. When you go to them at times, they say call so, so person, call the headquarters, do this, do that. So I don’t think I have anything much to do.
“I’m sad and really worried because since I was born, I have not seen this type of thing, gathering dead bodies in one place at a time on a daily basis,” Hon Igbabon lamented.
According to the council boss, the suspected Fulani herdsmen usually took people unawares who ran for their lives leaving all their belongings including foodstuffs. The killers then always take over the homes of the escapees, eating their food and laying siege for whoever that will come to pick things. According to her, that was how the killers got one of the slain victims who went to his house on Monday to carry some foodstuff.
It has been reported that for more than a week now, suspected Fulani herdsmen have blocked Makurdi-Naka road and have been killing people on daily basis without any resistance or reprisals from the communities and security personnel have not combated them either.
These attacks reportedly caused a peaceful protest in Naka Town, the headquarters of Gwer-West Local Government by Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Gwer-West chapter. Pastor Sule Sunday on behalf of the Christian community was said to have expressed their grievances on the incessant attacks on the locals without provocation and called on government to intervene
Also speaking, a resident pastor in the local government, Rev. S.S. Shamange, challenged security operatives to go after the attackers to disclaim the speculations that security agencies had compromised in their assignment.
A resident of the local government and a journalist, Francis Ugbede, says suspected Fulani herdsmen had taken over seven council wards of Sengev, Gaagev/Tongev, Saghev/Ukusu, Tough Ateer/Ijaha, Gaambe Ushin, Mbachohon and Avihijme in the local government and called for a step up of security patrol in the local communities.
According to reports refugees have increased following the number of communities deserted by the attackers.
