Fulani herdsmen set fire on a Kogi community/Credit The Guardian
Nigeria records more wanton killing by Fulani herdsmen as Buhari visits troubled areas.
As President Muhammadu Buhari continues his visit to troubled areas in the North over violence by Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen, more deaths are being recorded on the same account.
Meanwhile Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka has said Buhari’s visits are not what is needed to solve the insecurity, rather, the Federal Government should take proactive measure to stop re-occurring of the incidents.
In an event in Lagos yesterday, Soyinka said Buhari “was shedding unjust tears” while leaving out critical action plans he should have taken to stop herdsmen killing.
32 people in communities in Dekina and Omala Local Government Areas of Kogi State were killed on Wednesday.
Soyinka was reported as saying: “I get impatient when I hear things like Buhari has failed to go and sympathise with the people of Benue, with the people of Nasarawa, with the people of Dapchi or wherever. “Who needs sympathy? Is it sympathy that will reorder their broken lives? Is sympathy the issue? We are speaking here of one commodity that is fundamentally human deserving—justice. “There should an internal measure to avoid a repeat. We are speaking here of a President that will respond with massive action and not showing up at the arena of human desecration to shed any unjust tears, but give orders that the bloodthirsty terrorists are brought to book.”
The assailants arrived by boat on Wednesday, opened fire on the people and burnt down homes. An eyewitness said they wore military fatigue and wielded AK 47 assault rifles. Many of the residents who fled for their lives remain unaccounted for.
A source claimed the attackers, “about 500”, burnt down over 20 houses, killed anyone in sight and shot at those who tried to escape into the bushes.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police Monday Bala confirmed the incident during a press conference yesterday but declined to give casualty figures. He said the Commissioner of Police Aliyu Janga has drafted policemen and other security operatives to the area to restore order.
Four members of the family of a serving police officer were reportedly killed during the attack. One resident of the area said the incident might be a reprisal for a 2016 altercation that led to the death of four Fulani herdsmen and an unspecified number of cattle.
In February, Governor Yahaya Bello donated 15,000 hectares of land for the controversial Federal Government’s cattle colony policy. He said Fulani herdsmen would be brought to the land, since the state didn’t have any anti-grazing law, as enacted by neighbouring Benue State.
The Senate yesterday condemned the attack and urged the Federal Government to deploy security agencies in the affected local government areas.
The resolution followed a point of order raised by Senator Atai Aidoko (APC, Kogi East). Aidoko said the herdsmen killed 20 people in Oganenigu community in Dekina and 12 others in Abejukolo and Agbenema communities in Omala.
“I want this Senate to urge President Muhammadu Buhari to direct security agencies to bring the situation under control by arresting the perpetrators and ensuring they are prosecuted. This killing is taking on another dimension, as the killers also amputate people’s hands,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, 3 Division Garrison of the Nigerian Army Jos has said it discovered 23 bodies in a village in Plateau State. It also said two soldiers died trying to settle disputes between herdsmen and farmers.
In a statement late Wednesday, Spokesman Brig. Gen Texas Chukwu said troops responded to a distress call. On arrival at the scene however, the herdsmen opened fire on their convoy, killing two soldiers and injuring two others.