- from HENRY IYORKASE -
Over 10,000 persons have deserted Kadarko, a border town between Nassarawa and Benue states in the wake of the Fulani herdsmen and Tiv squabbles where it was reportedly gathered that about 20 persons lost their lives in the human carnage, and several properties including farm produce were also destroyed by the rampaging Fulani men.
Indications emerged at the weekend in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, that the escapees had relatives in Benue taking refuge in their numbers especially in places like Makurdi, Aliade, Gboko as well as Agasha in Guma Local Government Area of the state.
Some of the refugees who spoke with our correspondent included Aondoungwa Tyoyuhe, who left his place of abode at Gidan Kparev near Kadarko on the fateful day with his wife, a child and three siblings when the incident began, saying on Wednesday, which was the Market day of Kadarko, Fulani men suddenly emerged from nowhere armed to the teeth and shot sporadically killing not fewer than 10 persons on the spot.
The situation further heightened the fear of the people around and they consequently began to evacuate their belongings to seek refuge in faraway places for safety. Aondonenge Toryila recalled the episode with nostalgia, saying he narrowly escaped the Fulani bullets and that it was business as usual on the fateful Wednesday, as everyone was going on with their business as usual not envisaging any mishap.
Suddenly as people were carrying out their transactions, some Fulanis surfaced in the middle of the market where sacks of rice, groundnuts and yams were being sold at the time shooting several people including a woman who had a baby strapped to her back; thereafter everyone scampered leaving behind their produce, which they had brought to the market to sell. In his comment on the incident, the state chairman of Conference for All Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) Engr. Baba Agan, urged the state government as a matter of urgency to hold the local government council chairmen liable for persistent Fulani uprisings.
Agan made this position known in an interview with Sunday Mirror yesterday, saying if you look at it from an analytical point of view, all these Fulani herdsmen pay levies to council chairmen on monthly basis in a particular local government where they rear their cows. It could also amaze you that since there have been intermittent clashes between Fulani and Tiv peasant farmers, none of these affected chairmen where the killings took place have ever commented or shown serious commitment towards putting to an end of this bloodletting.
He further pointed out that the only panacea to resolve the constant uprising and human carnage was for the state government to warn council chairmen strongly that if any trouble breaks out with Fulani herdsmen then such chairman would be booted out from office noting that in such manner the crisis would minimise drastically.
The Benue Police Commands Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Alaribe Ejike, in his reaction, acknowledged that people had fled the troubled spot to Makurdi and other environs in fear.
No. of Views:655
While the belt were fighting Biafra war the Fulani were planting their own surrogates in all corners. The Fulani people look at other black Africans as monkey and inferiors. Mass revolt against the Fulanis and their Sokoto Sultan is what is needed. The Fulanis are fighting racial war.
This is an unfortunate event which is curiously re-occurring. Even now – 1 year later, this menace is yet to be fully addressed. I think the governments at all levels must exercise the political will necessary to nip this issue in the bud.
What’s up colleagues, how is the whole thing, and what you want to say about this article, in my view its genuinely remarkable for me.
Both tiv/fulani are 4rom nairaland so deir is no ned 4 crisis among us. It is certain dat such apen bt we must lean 2 stop fightin owself, and luv 1anoda ok, ben onah.