From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
The Benue State government has raised the alarm over continued killings of its people by herdsmen militia, saying it has recorded no fewer than 5,138 deaths between 2015 and March 2023.
The Executive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr Emmanuel Shior, made the disclosure, while briefing newsmen on the current humanitarian situation in Benue State, in his office, in Makurdi, yesterday, said two million were internally displaced in the state during the period, while over 3,000 new displacements have been recorded following renewed attacks on Logo, Ukum and Kwande LGAs of Benue State, recently.
Shior, who noted that killings were going on in Benue before the emergence of the present administration, said herdsmen killings assumed a colossal dimension, resulting in huge deaths and displacements.
The SEMA boss also disclosed that out of 23 local government areas of the state, 18, including Guma, Gwer West, Ukum, Logo and Kwande, among others, have been affected. In a breakdown, he said the state recorded 1,177 deaths in 2015, 809 deaths in 2016, 43 deaths in 2017, 440 deaths in 2018, 174 in 2019, and 88 deaths in the year 2020.
“In 2021, the killing took a colossal turn and 2,131 deaths were recorded in 2021, 172 in 2022 and 104 killed between January and March 2023, bringing the number of deaths to 5,138 since 2015,” he added.
He described the situation as not only worrisome, saying it’s a genocide.
He said in trying to end the killings, the Governor Samuel Ortom led administration and the state assembly enacted the anti open grazing law in 2017, to provide a win-win situation for both animal and crop farmers in the state.
“The state government also established the Livestock Guard and Benue State Community Volunteer Guards to assist conventional security agencies to provide security for all residents and also prevent cattle rustling in the state.
“It is, however, disturbing that despite these efforts, the attacks and killings have persisted and the Federal Government and security agencies who should support the Benue State government to implement the law have refused to do so and attackers have continued with their onslaught on the farming communities.
He said SEMA drew the attention of well meaning individuals and the international community on the humanitarian situation in Benue and also said President Muhammadu Buhari had neglected the IDPs in Benue State. He expressed the hope that the incoming president would work with the Benue State government to return the IDPs back home, just as he called on Benue people to vote the PDP in the forthcoming governorship election, to enable it consolidate on the gains of the Ortom led administration.