Armed herdsmen kill 50 in Logo LGA of Benue
By TYAV SAM TYAV, Makurdi –
No fewer than fifty persons have been reportedly killed by herdsmen in various communities of Logo Local Government Area of Benue State in the last one month, NATIONAL ACCORD investigation has shown.
The affected communities of the local government includes Ayilamo, Azege and Anyebe in Tombo council ward, Anyiin in Mbakper council ward and Chembe and Iorja in Ukemeragya/ Tswarev council ward.
Our investigation has clearly indicated that that the attacks on these communities have a long history as the communities started finding it rough since the beginning of the crisis over ten years ago.
In.all these years, these communities among others have continued to lose loved ones to the blood thirsty herdsmen who normally come to these communities unannounced and with out any provocation.
But in the last one month, over fifty members of these communities from Logo local government were reportedly killed by the trigger ready herders.
We have it on authority that before the last Sunday attack on Azege when about twenty resident of the Azege town were killed the herders had attacked several other communities.
Our checks have it that the attack was a coordinated one as the attackers came in the night and carefully blocked all the escape routes before they launched their attack killing about twenty residents of the area.
We learnt that even before the attack on Azege, the herders had attacked all the neighbouring communities of Azege town before descending heavily on the town.
Ayilamo, a settlement in Tombo council ward had a bitter experience roughly two weeks ago when the armed herdsmen attacked the settlement and about twenty residents were allegedly killed.
In Anyebe settlement too a man from the area, Uja Emmanuel has confirmed that they have lost their loves ones to the attackers more than ten within few days.
Uja, who felt concerned had to procure relief materials worth hundreds of thousands of naira for the people to cushion the effects of their suffering.
A visit to Chembe and Iorja of Ukemberagya/ Tswarev council ward also revealed that the residents are counting their losses following the recent attacks by the herdsmen.
Our checks have also shown that in some of these communities, herdsmen have occupied the houses of the villagers even as they claim ownership of these houses.
As to the last Sunday’s killing in Azege town where about twenty residents were allegedly killed, the spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, Sewuese Catherine Anene said four persons were killed during the attack.