…many are being killed, we’re under siege – lawmaker laments

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

At least 15 persons were feared dead in three days of armed herdsmen attacks on Akpete, Ugbobi, Ijaha, Edikwu Oji and Iyanpu communities of Apa Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue state.

The attacks also left several persons injured and many others still missing and unaccounted for.

It was gathered that the armed men who in the last three days, from Tuesday, have sustained attacks in the villages also destroyed homes and farm produce in the affected communities.

The source, a youth leader in one of the affected communities informed that “the onslaught started on Tuesday when they attacked a part of Ijaha where they killed five persons and injured many others. They also burnt down houses and farmland.

“On Wednesday, they again stormed Ediku Oji and Akpete, barricaded the road connecting the village to Ugbokpo, the Local Government headquarters.

“In that attack, they ransacked the village, chased the people out of their ancestral homes after killing two persons and injuring several others.

“And Thursday morning they moved into Ugbobi village shooting sporadically and for close to three hours they laid siege in the community and the fear is that about about eight persons lost their lives in the attacks, though it could be more than that because the search for bodies is ongoing at the moment.”

Reacting, the National Chairman of Apa Development Association, ADA, Mr. Eche Akpoko “the attacks started since Tuesday. And the situation is even more than what we witnessed last year for which we held a press conference.

“It has become a routine and this time around they have no regards for children and women. In fact even in international war there are regards for rules of engagement. Could you imagine that in a village a hungry lady went to the farm to get tubers of yam, they caught her and butchered her. They do not allow our people to go to farm again, you don’t dare step out.”

Also, the lawmaker representing Apa State Constituency in the Benue State House of Assembly, Abu Umoru who lamented the unending attacks in Apa LGA said, “over 95 percent of a section of by community are displaced already.

“The entire Edikwu community has been displaced, Opaha where I come from, nobody is in the community, Odugbo nobody is there, Akpete, Ikobi, Akpanta, Ochumekwu, Ijaha and Adija communities have all been deserted.

“Everyday they burn houses in Akpete. In the last three days they have been going to Apkete to burn houses after chasing the out of their ancestral homes. They lay ambush and kill not less than five persons on daily basis. The number of casualties is so many.

“Today I could not be at plenary in the House, I went to my communities to sympathize with my people and because of the killings, I have developed a problem that I have to go to the hospital to check myself.

“The killings are terrible. Even yesterday (Wednesday) on the highway around Nasarawa Toto leading to Oweto up to  Otukpo, between a village called Ojantele and Orozo, the herders put their cows on the road for three hours. There was no movement. It was the Hausa people who travel on these big trucks that came down and talked to them before they removed barricade from the road.

“The development is no more a question of moving motion everyday at the state House of Assembly. These killings have gone beyond us. Our representatives at the National Assembly have moved motions times without number but what has happened? Who do we cry to?

“It is a pathetic situation. I don’t know what to do. I am speechless. Sometimes I ask myself why even contested election? Because I cannot go with my personal resources to go and do anything anywhere. If people are not happy or settled how do you impact their lives. How many people can you feed? If they are in their villages, it is very easy for you to reach them, but if they are not there, how can you take a solar system there?

“Last time some people who were working at the high institution there were ambushed on the road, they opened fire and killed two of them. It is a pathetic situation.”

Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent, SP, Catherine Anene said “I don’t have reports on these attacks.”