The police in Benue State have confirmed the killing of
three Fulani herdsmen and their cattle by some villagers in the Agatu area of
the state.
Our correspondent learnt that the villagers on Sunday killed
the herdsmen and their cattle for allegedly trespassing into some farmlands.
It was gathered that the police operatives had recovered the
corpses of two of the herdsmen, while a search was still on for the third
corpse.
It will be recalled that the herdsmen also on Sunday and
Tuesday, in what has been described as reprisals, attacked some villages in the
Logo Local Government Area of the state, killing 15 persons.
The police later noted that eight herdsmen were arrested for
the killings.
The Benue State Commissioner of Police, Bashir Makama,
confirmed the killing of the three herdsmen and their cattle to our
correspondent, adding that the police were working to ensure peace and order
among the warring farmers and herdsmen in the state.
Makama said, “In Agatu, the villagers killed three Fulani
herdsmen on Sunday and also killed their cows. Two corpses have been found and
we are still searching for the third corpse.
“This is part of the things that incite violence. Both the
villagers and the herdsmen need to be taught that as the farmers value their
farmlands, the herdsmen value their cows.
“If these incidents happen, it means the proactive actions
by the police have not fully been implemented or something has gone wrong.
Also, this is not the first time of such attacks.
“We are only referring to the most recent attacks. We have this bad situation in the past, but the
magnitude is lower now because of some of the proactive steps taken by the
police.”
0 Comments