Again, three feared killed by suspected herders in Benue

Three persons were yesterday feared killed in an early morning attack on Tiza Village, in Tombo Ward of Logo council area of Benue State by suspected herdsmen.

It was gathered from local sources that the attackers stormed the settlement at about 8:30a.m. and laid ambush for the unsuspecting farmers who were on their way to farm.

The sources said the invaders, on sighting the indigenes, opened fire on them, killing three on the spot while a good number of others sustained various degrees of injury.

A community leader, Chief Joseph Anawah, told The Guardian on phone that the well-armed herdsmen, in their large number, had blocked several farm paths, shooting sporadically at anyone in sight.

His words: “The Fulani herdsmen have continued to wipe out Benue farmers, especially in Logo and Guma local government areas.

The terrorist herders this morning (yesterday) at about 08:30 a.m. shot and killed three persons at Tse Tyogbihi also known as Tiza Village in Tombo Council Ward of Logo LGA near Anyiin on their way to the farm.

“The herders went after a husband and wife who were working on their farm and killed the husband but the wife managed to escape. When the villagers conducted a search, the woman was found alive.”

Anawah revealed that majority of the indigenes in the internally displaced persons (IDPs) camp in Anyii had been going to their farms in the morning and returning to the facility in he evening, adding that the nomads having gotten wind of the new development, have now employed ambushes in the early hours to attack their targets.

He further noted: “As we speak , those displaced persons have refused to return to the area because the herdsmen are still occupying the farms and the entire communities.”

Confirming the attack, the council chairman, Mr. Richard Nyajor, stated that the militia herdsmen ambushed and opened fire on four farmers who were on their way to the farm via motorcycles, killing three of them on the spot while the remaining one person was shot in the leg.

He listed the dead as Aondofa Mkarsha; Emmanuel Iorliam; and one Mr. Msugh.

The fourth person had been taken to NKST Hospital, Anyiin for medical attention.

Efforts to get comments from the state police command were futile as the calls put to the mobile numbers of the concerned officials were unsuccessful as at press time.

However, the Benin Diocese of the Anglican Communion has condemned the killings in parts of the federation, urging Nigerians to work for the development of the country.

The Diocesan Bishop, Rt. Rev Peter Imasuen, made the appeal in a message titled, Occupy till I come, at the Third Session of the 18th Synod of the diocese held at The Cathedral of St Matthew in the Edo State capital.

His words: “There is hope for the future, there is hope for you and me, for the church, for the nation, but it is not something which we can just watch and observe. We are all part of the process.

We need to help one another or hinder this hope, which pushes the community and the nation forward to better times, or we draw it back.

“We cannot watch as outsiders. Let us invest in education, let us invest in the lives of our youths, let us participate honourably in politics, the test of who we are is now.

We must build all people, particularly the young ones and give them hope for the future”

Imasuen noted that Christians in parts of the North have become endangered due to the activities of the Boko Haram terrorists and the killer herdsmen.

He lamented the continued detention of Leah Sharibu by the Boko Haram sect for refusing to renounce her Christian faith.