Agatu Massacre: Fulani Leader's Reason for Slaughtering 300 People in Benue Will Shock You

Posted by Odinaka on Fri 04th Mar, 2016 - tori.ng

The Fulani community in Benue State, accused of killing hundreds of residents in Agatu in Benue State, said Thursday that the crisis started after 10,000 of cattle belonging to its members were killed by Agatu natives.

Speaking on behalf of the Fulani community, Ado Boderi, on Thursday during a meeting between Agatu community, Fulani community and Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, the Fulani community in Benue State, who was accused of killing hundreds in Agatu in Benue State, has said that the crisis started after 10,000 of cattle belonging to its members were killed by Agatu natives.

He said criminal elements from both sides escalated the crisis despite the quick intervention of the governor, adding that Fulani herdsmen were a peace-loving people, whose main concern was the problem of cattle rustling.

Speaking on behalf of the Agatu people, Akpa Iduh, decried the continued unprovoked attacks on his people by 'Fulani mercenaries', adding that the crisis started over five decades ago, lamented that it had recently turned into a war because of the types of weapons the herdsmen were using against them.

He alleged that the 'Fulani mercenaries' were killing both children and pregnant women on sight, adding that they were powerless after embracing the Benue Amnesty Programme and surrendered illegal arms to government.

"The herdsmen are bent on turning our land into their grazing area, thereby rendering us homeless and without food. Is it because we are minority and poor that they are using their numerical advantage and wealth against us? We are going to remain in Agatu until the day they have succeeded in killing all of us."

The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, who was on a fact-finding mission to the state, said in Makurdi that the force had deployed enough policemen to end the clashes between Agatu farmers and herdsmen in Benue.

He disclosed that the force had deployed additional four units of police teams to the area to arrest the situation. "I am in Benue on the directives of Mr President on a fact- finding mission and to also see if there is a way to resolve the crisis.

"We have enough security officers to end the ongoing crisis between farmers and herdsmen in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue. We have also deployed additional four units of police teams in the area to arrest the situation.

"There is no way we can all live together without having disagreements with one another at some point; it is the way we manage the disagreements that matters. Both the farmers and herdsmen must learn to cohabit with one another as a nation for the peace and progress of our people," he said.