Armed herdsmen occupy two-thirds of Benue State – Conventional ruler cries out

The Ter Tyoshin and Chairman of the Gwer West Conventional Council, His Royal Highness Daniel Abomtse, has raised the alarm over the worsening safety state of affairs in Benue State, stating that greater than two-thirds of the state have been overtaken by armed herdsmen.

In accordance with the normal ruler, the disaster started in 2011 when armed herders first invaded communities in Gwer West Native Authorities Space.

Since then, the violence has unfold throughout practically 20 out of the state’s 23 LGAs, forcing hundreds of residents from their ancestral houses and into Internally Displaced Individuals (IDP) camps, he mentioned.

“All of the districts in Gwer West have been occupied,” Abomtse mentioned throughout a unprecedented expanded sitting of the Gwer West LG Conventional Council on the weekend.

He added, “The rightful house owners of the land have been displaced and are actually congested in Naka, the headquarters of the native authorities.

“Within the villages, the armed herdsmen are nonetheless there, some rearing cattle, others participating in banditry and kidnappings.”

The monarch described key routes, such because the Naka-Adoka, Naka-Taraku and Naka-Makurdi roads, as extraordinarily harmful, labeling them “loss of life traps”.

Increasing on the size of the occupation, he added: “In Kwande LGA, greater than six districts are below siege. Guma has misplaced all ten districts.

“In Makurdi, solely the metropolis is unaffected. Emblem and Ukum LGAs are badly hit, with Ukum now the hotbed of assaults. Otukpo’s surrounding communities, in addition to components of Agatu and Apa, are not secure.”

Abomtse referred to as for pressing federal intervention to reclaim the occupied territories and allow displaced residents to return dwelling.

“What we face in Benue is severely under-reported,” he pressured, including: “It’s not akin to what’s occurring in another state, not even in Borno.”