According to Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, armed herders who arrived in the state without cattle were responsible for the recent murders in the state.
Suspected ranchers massacred more than 100 people in the Guma Local Government Area of the state on June 14 in the settlements of Yelewata and Daudu.
Outrage around the country was sparked by reports that the death toll had increased to 200 by Sunday.
Governor Alia claimed in a Monday interview on Channels Television that the murderous herders, some of whom he identified as non-Nigerians, brought AK-47s and AK-49s into the state.
He claims that some of them cross the border into Cameroon.
He stated, “Last year, people had returned home and worked in agriculture with abundant produce.”
“However, we began to experience the phase of the new attacks this farming season again.”
This is how the new attack phase appears. We were discussing the farmers/herders dilemma before, but it has since evolved into the issue of herders entering, and armed individuals were one of them.
“The armed herdsmen” is what we called them. Generally speaking, we don’t bring the herd in, but the people fighting on the front lines here are armed with only AK-47s and AK-49s.
“On the ground, we comprehend a straightforward equation. A burglar won’t simply show up in a community unless someone in the community directs them to your home or the neighborhood.
Strangely, what we have now is that the herders had a crisis, the armed herders took control of it, and now the terrorists and criminals have fully taken over.
“On the ground, that is the situation.”
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