…warns of prospect of another attack

By Peter Duru

Makurdi- Indications emerged Monday that over 3,641 persons were reportedly killed in Benue by suspected armed herdsmen between 2016 and 2018.

herdsmen

This was made known by the MINDA Strategic Contact Group, MPSCG, a socio-political group which membership principally consist of eminent sons and daughters of Masev, Ihyarev, Nongov, Development Association, MINDA, bloc of Benue state.

Addressing the media in Makurdi to mark one year anniversary of the January 1, 2018 herdsmen massacre in Guma and Logo local government areas of the state, spokesman of the group Prof. Tor Iorapuu expressed worry that as 2019 approached the state faced the prospect of a repeat of the invasion.

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Relying on figures released December 17, 2018 by Amnesty International, the group warned that “as we approach the eve of 2019, instances of similar patterns of killings have reportedly occurred in Guma, Makurdi, Logo and Ukum Local government areas of the State.

“Only one week ago, law enforcement officers were reported to have arrested one herdsman with 105 herds of Cattle openly grazing in the heart of Makurdi the Benue State capital in flagrant violation of the Anti Open Grazing Law of the State, 2017.

“There is therefore palpable anxiety in the state that the sudden influx of such a large number of herds into Benue State on the eve of 2019, a general election year is a design to breach the peace and instigate the postponement of the 2019 general elections in Benue state and call for declaration of a state of emergency.

“Moreso utterances of certain political elites within and outside the state regarding the attacks on the people of Benue aimed at securing political capital and undermining the cultural sensibilities of the people is unfortunate.

“It is on the account of these concerns that we are calling on the government and good people of Benue state, the Federal Government, all security agencies and the international community to note that to Remember is to Resist.

“That as we remember the ugly killings and existing provocative statements, we put the world on notice to resist its recurrence in 2019 going forward.”

NOTE: This picture was used for illustrative purposes