he Agatu Youth Development Initiative (AYDI) has condemned the recent killing of a herder and rustling of cows in some communities by those it described as ‘perpetrators of violent crimes’ and enemies of Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State.

Specifically, the transparency group regretted that in the last few months, over 210 cows have been killed and taken away by criminal elements.

insisted that the perpetrators are not indigenes of Agatu, but people who are envious of the peace that has been reigning across the land since October 2024.

In a statement on Sunday by its National President, Engr. Ngbede Edoh, Woman Leader, Rose Onuminya, the group expressed concern that the development could erode the gains made by the existing peace-building process spearheaded by the executive chairman of Agatu Council Area, Amb. Melvin Ejeh.

The group recalled that shortly after his election and subsequent swearing-in in October 2024, Ejeh, who doubles as the Deputy Chairman of the Benue State Chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), initiated a peace process that endured until recent events.

The peace process, the youth organisation recalled, was a culmination of several town hall meetings in collaboration with all stakeholders, which were held within and across the boundaries of Benue State (Nasarawa, Kogi, and Plateau States).
“We are constrained to issue this press statement, in light of recent events in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, whose

people are known to be peace-lovers, peace-makers, as well as peace-builders,” the group said.

“We are deeply concerned about verified reports of fresh killings of an innocent boy, and over 210 cows by enemies of Agatu, who seek to reverse the gains our people have been enjoying from the peace strategy with Fulani leaders, which ensured that herders and settlers will respect the laws, tradition, and custom of their host communities.

“As a gesture of reciprocity, our people undertook to be good hosts, hospitable, and accommodating, in demonstration of their time-honoured nature.

“We are afraid that if nothing is done – and urgently too – Agatu land might be return to the dark days, where killings and reprisals were the order of the day.

“As is often said: ‘beneficiaries of acts of wickedness and crimes are those that originate them’. Therefore, no effort should be spared to stop evildoers from taking us back to Egypt.

“As a transparent, non-profit organisation, we make bold to state that the perpetrators of these fresh, targeted violence, do not represent Agatu, hence do not have the stainless and pure blood of Agatu running in their veins.

“Our painstaking investigations revealed that they are bad eggs , who are sponsored to truncate the peace enjoyed by the good people of Agatu since assumption of office of the chairman, Hon (Amb) Melvin Ejeh.

“They are crises merchants, who accept the least of incentives, including a mess of pottage, to main, kill, and spill innocent blood, to satisfy their paymasters.”

Nonetheless, the group thanked the Commander, and troops of Operation Whirl Stroke, the Police, Department of State Services (DSS), and other relevant security agencies, whose efforts have continued to ensure relative peace in Agatu in particular, and Benue State in general.

This is even as the AYDI tasked locals on the urgent and compelling needs to report suspicious persons and movements to relevant security and law enforcement agencies for prompt action.

Also, the youth group encouraged the council chairman to remain firm in his determination to ensure a peaceful Agatu, as doing otherwise will be surrendering to evil, which they insist, has no place in the land.