HARVEST OF DEATHS: 68 killed in attack, road accidents
On December 1, 2011 · In Headlines
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BY PETER DURU & John Bulus
NO fewer than 68 persons were reportedly killed while property worth millions of Naira were destroyed yesterday in Benue Gombe and Kogi states.

In Benue State, 50 lives were lost in a renewed attack on Tiv community in Guma Local Government of the state by suspected Fulani herdsmen. The Fulani/Tiv crisis was reportedly spreading towards Makurdi, Benue State capital yesterday, with refugees fleeing the war zone and streaming into the metropolis.

This came as eight persons died on the Lokoja-Abuja road yesterday.

Vanguard gathered the areas hardest hit by the renewed attack in Benue State include Tiv settlements at Dooga, Kpata, Lokobi Ajimaka, Ekeae, Giza, Yogbo and Mbagwem communities.

Those fleeing from the area with their wives and children from Kpata village, said the number of the dead could exceed 50 stressing that as many as 350 persons were yet to be accounted for.

Mr. Tyopine Agar who fled from one of the communities told Vangurd: “Many of our people were in the farms when the crisis erupted and till now no one knows their whereabouts.”

Agar said the Fulani herdsmen who were assisted by the people residing on the border of Benue and Nasarawa states in Doma town laid siege on their villages, shooting and burning both their houses and property.

Moved by the level of devastation in the communities, the Speaker of the Benue House of Assembly, Mr. Dave Iyorhemba, who paid an unscheduled visit to some of the refugees now camped at the Local Government Education Authority, LGEA, Primary School, Kadroko, lamented the recurrent attack on the Tiv communities by herdsmen.

Iyorhemba who asked the people to remain calm, regretted the insensitivity of the Nasarawa State Government to the plight of the victims and urged both the Benue and Nasarawa governments to take decisive steps to check the further carnage in the affected communities.

He also implored the two states to implement recommendations of the peace committee they had earlier set up by releasing a white paper on findings of the panel set up in June to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the recurrent crisis.

He said: “Aside being the Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, the people affected in these skirmishes are my constituents and Tiv communities affected in Nasarawa State have contributed in no small measure to the socio-economic development of the state and therefore deserve the protection of that state government. What is happening is rather unfortunate and heart rendering. On the part of the Benue State government we have already started releasing relief materials to the displaced people but unfortunately no such assistance is coming from the Nasarawa State government.”

He called on the National Emergency Management Agency to move in with relief materials to thousands of displaced persons.

The Village Head of Dooga, one of the ravaged villages, Zaki Tsashaku, lamented the level of devastation in the community just as he urged the Benue and Nasarawa state governments to jointly deploy security personnel to the affected communities before the crises would spread o major towns in both states.

Meanwhile, no fewer than 10 persons lost their lives while several others sustained serious injuries in an auto crash at Bagali village, along Bauchi – Gombe road.

An eyewitness whose name could not be immediately known said the accident happened when a truck with number plate XA491 DAS over-took another vehicle at a bend and crashed into three Vectra Opel cars killing 10 persons instantly.

The truck driver and other passengers sustained various degrees of injuries and were evacuated to a hospital by officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC. An official of FRSC who pleaded anonymity confirmed the story adding that 10 persons died while those injured are being treated at the Bauchi General Hospital.

He attributed the accident to wrong over -taking, saying the corpses were deposited at the Bauchi General Hospital Mortuary.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/12/harvest-of-deaths-68-killed-in-attack-road-accidents/

50 Killed in Fresh Tiv-Fulani Herdsmen Clash

By George Okoh

Over 50 persons have been reported killed and property worth millions of Naira destroyed by Fulani herdsmen in a renewed attack on Tiv communities in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.

The crisis, which has taken a dangerous dimension, is also gradually creeping into Makurdi town with scores of refugees fleeing the crises area into the town.

THISDAY gathered that the areas hardest hit by the renewed attack include Tiv settlements at Dooga, Kpata, Lokobi Ajimaka, Ekeae, Giza, Yogbo and Mbagwem communities.

It was also gathered from an eyewitness, who fled the fighting with his wife and children from Kpata village, Mr. Tyopine Agar, that the number of the dead could exceed the figure, stressing that as many as over 350 persons are yet to be unaccounted for.
According to him, "many of our people were in the farms when the crisis erupted and up till now no one knows their whereabouts".

Agar alleged that the herdsmen who were assisted by the Alagos residing on the border of Benue and Nasarawa States in Doma town laid siege on their villages, shooting and burning their houses and property.

Moved by the level of devastation in the communities, Speaker of the Benue House of Assembly, Hon. Dave Iorhemba, who paid an unscheduled visit to some of the refugees who were camped at the LGEA Primary School Kadarko lamented the recurrent attack on the Tiv communities by the herdsmen.

Iorhemba, who urged the people to remain calm regretted the insensitivity of the Nasarawa State Government to the plight of the victims of the attack also called on the Benue and Nasarawa state governments to take decisive steps to check the carnage.

He also implored the two states to act on the recommendations of the peace committee set up by the states by releasing a white paper on the findings of the panel set up last June to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the crisis.

He said: “Aside being the Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, the people affected in these skirmishes are my constituents and Tiv communities affected in Nasarawa State have contributed in no small measure to the socio-political development of the state and therefore deserve the protection of the state government.”

"What is happening is rather unfortunate and heart rendering. On the part of the Benue State government we have already started releasing relief materials to the displace people but unfortunately no such assistance is coming from the Nasarawa State Government", the Speaker said.

He also called on the National Emergency Management Agency to step in with the relief materials to the displaced who are in their thousands.

Iorhemba further called on the two state governments to create grazing routes for the herdsmen to forestall further destruction of farmlands of the communities and the consequent bloodbath.

Reacting to the matter, the Village Head of Dooga, one of the ravaged villages, Zaki Tsashaku lamented the level of devastation in the communities just as he called on the Benue and Nasarawa state governments to jointly deploy security personnel to the affected communities before the crisis escalates into major towns of both states.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/50-killed-in-fresh-tiv-fulani-herdsmen-clash/104029/

Violence: Over 250,000 displaced in Nasarawa
By Johnny Danjuma, Lafia 29/11/2011 00:00:00
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•Three confirmed dead

Over 250,000 persons were said to have been displaced in Nasarawa State following renewed violence between Fulani herdsmen and Tiv communities in Benue State.

Though some residents claimed that four persons were killed in the violence, the police confirmed three.

Trouble started when some bandits allegedly attacked and killed four persons in Kadarko, on their way to the market in Nasarawa State.

A Fulani and an Agatu man were said to have died in the attack.

It was learnt that the attack resulted in reprisal attacks of other tribesmen, including Tivs and Madas.

By last Wednesday, two Mada and Tiv people were said to have been killed in reprisal attacks on villagers at Angwan Yara Mada and Doka.

These reportedly spread to Agbashi in Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

One of the victims alleged that some Fulani herdsmen were moving on railways lines towards Angwan Yara Mada, Doka and down to Udei, near Doma in Doma Local Government Area.

A lady said she was on her way to Rukubi to see her father but could not reach him on phone when she was attacked.

She said there were two bodies on Rukubi road and that when the driver of the vehicle in which they were travelling sensed that something was wrong and attempted to make a U-turn, two Fulani herdsmen on a motorcycle, emerged from the bush and chased their vehicle.

It was learnt that over 250,000 internally-displaced persons have fled the area and are taking shelter at a primary school in Kadarko, about 30 kilometres from Lafia.

The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Solomon Ihuman, has visited the displaced persons, promising government assistance.

Those who escaped the violence and are taking refuge at Kadarko, said their homes have been razed with bodies littering everywhere in the bush.

The Tiv Youth President, Peter Ibgacher, has said the state government should assist the displaced persons at Kadarko.

He said others had fled to Benue State.

Describing the situation as “senseless”, Ibgacher urged the government to bring relief materials to the displaced to reduce their plight.

He alleged that the state government defaulted when in June it promised to take relief materials to the displaced persons.

A similar attack in June led to the death of 50 people, including a police Inspector and an Army officer.

During a visit to the displaced persons at Kadarko, Ihuman said he was on an on-the-spot assessment of the situation and would report back to Governor Umaru Al-Makura for necessary action.

He noted that after accurate figures of the displaced persons are compiled the government, through the state emergency relief agency, would give the displaced persons relief materials.

Police spokesman Cornelius Ocholi told The Nation yesterday that the casualty figures were exaggerated because of rumours.

He said necessary measures were being taken to ensure that the fighting does not escalate.

According to him, policemen, members of the State Security Service (SSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other security agencies would forestall any further breakdown of law and order.

Ocholi said there was no cause for alarm, adding that the rumours were being peddled by those fleeing their areas.

He said perpetrators of the violence would be brought to justice.

The polioce spokesman added that six suspects have been arrested and would be brought to book after investigation.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/27895-violence-over-250-000-displaced-in-nasarawa.html

Ileke-IdI:

Na wa o, they just never stop.

The Desecrating of women they did in the SE a few months ago and the killing they did in Jos is just not enough.

ndu_chucks:

You people need to ask yourselves why these kinds of attacks did not take place 10 or 15 years ago. Give yourselves honest answers in the process please. Be sensitive as well.

ndu_chucks:

You people need to ask yourselves why these kinds of attacks did not take place 10 or 15 years ago. Give yourselves honest answers in the process please. Be sensitive as well.

namfav:

i see people are spreading there agenda, please dont make a issue out of nothing, nothing confirmed