Herdsmen Order Residents To Leave Benue Community

In an apparent disregard for the Exercise Cat Race, a military operation meant to end herdsmen killings in Benue state, armed herdsmen have this week told residents of a community to vacate the place for them, as they’ve come to take over.

It would be recalled that Greennews reported how herdsmen stormed Mbatoho, an Island community at Mbalagh council ward of Makurdi local government, sacking over 5,000 inhabitants of the vast Island.

In the fresh attack, the herdsmen also rendered over 5,000 Tiv residents of the community homeless after destroying their houses, farmlands and food barns.

The invaders were said to have quietly ordered the locals to vacate their ancestral homes without putting up any resistance, as they told them that obedience will save their lives.

After the people have fled their homes to the mainland, the well armed herdsmen razed several homes on the island and occupied the territory which is less than five kilometers from the Wadata area of Makurdi town.

Most of the victims sought refuge in homes of relatives and friends on the other side of River Benue, while a handfull of others staged a peaceful protest to Benue Government House, seeking the intervention of the state government to save them from being homeless, and obvious hunger.

The displaced persons said that the armed herdsmen started the action of attacking and taking over the island some days ago.

Similarly, the Community Leader of the Island and tax collector of the inner segment of the Island, Chief Peter Tachie, said, “the armed herdsmen who are usually dressed in black started their action four days ago in our community.”