Agatu Massacres: Herdsmen Leaving Benue ‘In Their Numbers’ For Peace To Reign – Police Commissioner

fulani-herdsmen

The Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Paul Yakadi, on Tuesday said in Makurdi that the departure of herdsmen from the state marked an end to clashes between them and farmers.

Mr. Yakadi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the herdsmen had started leaving the state in droves on their own volition to end the ongoing crisis with farmers.

Some armed herdsmen over two weeks ago massacred hundreds of people in Agatu communities over the alleged killing of 10,000 of their cattle by the people in the communities.

The police chief, however, noted that the decision of the herdsmen to leave the state would give peace a chance.

“The herdsmen have started leaving the state for peace to reign. They are leaving in their numbers, but that does not mean the crisis has ended.

“We believe that in no distant time peace will return in the affected local governments and the people will return to their homes again.

“My men are trying their best to end this crisis. Our people too must learn to live with one another and manage disagreement amicably without violence”, he advised.

The commissioner said the Benue command was expecting two additional units of mobile police from Asaba and Abakaliki to quell the farmers/herdsmen crisis.

He said the new units would be deployed to the hinterlands to assist the other officers already on ground to fully end the crisis.

The commissioner appealed to both parties to show restraint and learn to live with one another in peace.

The local government areas engulfed by the clashes included Agatu, Buruku, Logo, Kwande and Makurdi, the state capital.

(NAN)

1 COMMENT

  1. Sometime I don’t know what this people in government call us. Mumu or what? If someone kill a cow or million cows and you are angry, the best thing is to go and meet the police to resolve. Now human life is taken for cows? Ah ah, se Osun ni awon kan sope o go, se gbogbo Nigeria ko lo wa ti go bayi? Translation: some said Osun state people are dull, foolish, is it not the whole Nigeria that is dull now? These cows that were killed were probably grazing on the farmers farms and thereby destroying the plants. Does the land belong to the Herdsmen. Hey, the government should should enact a strict law against this Fulani. They should get land and plant whatever they want their cows to eat there. Oga o, oro Nigeria yi wa ti fe yiwo o. Ti eleyi ba n sele si igi tutu, igi gbigbe wa n ko o. This is a serious issue, if this is happening to those Agatu that are strong and hardworking, what shall we say about people that only have small land to farm on. God, help us o