Agatu becoming another ‘killing field’

Just as the dust from the attack on Agatu people in Benue State last week was yet to settle, a fresh one was again launched on another community in the area last Sunday by unknown gunmen who wrecked havoc and killed early morning worshippers in a mosque.The latest attack which was the first in Ogwule-Ankpa […]

Just as the dust from the attack on Agatu people in Benue State last week was yet to settle, a fresh one was again launched on another community in the area last Sunday by unknown gunmen who wrecked havoc and killed early morning worshippers in a mosque.
The latest attack which was the first in Ogwule-Ankpa village in Agatu Local Government Area left at least 16 persons dead at the end of the day following recoveries of corpses in nearby bush.
Worried by the incessant invasion of that part of Idoma speaking areas, the Idoma National Forum  (IDF), an umbrella body of the Idoma nation rose up within the week in condemnation of what it referred to as the continued unprovoked  killings of Agatu people in  Benue and Nasarawa States.
In a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Dan Eka, the Forum frowned at the frequent attacks against its people by gunmen who are suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.
The Idoma nation regretted that Agatu has suffered severely in the hands of the invaders despite the state government’s effort to stem the tide barely few months after the last year’s flood dealt fatal blow on their land.
“We are aware that uptill now, many of the Agatu people affected by the floods have not received any of the palliatives provided to cushion the effects of last year’s floods. The incessant mayhem directed by the Fulanis against same people is an additional pain too much to bear,” the statement reads in part.
The Forum further lamented the Federal Government’s inability to respond  promptly to security situation in the area by ensuring that various security agencies live up to expectation to end   the killings as the armless rural dwellers are at the mercy of the invaders.
“Our people who are armless were either left at the mercy of the invaders who came with sophisticated weapons such as AK47 guns and in the steal of the night,” the statement added.
The body therefore urged the Federal Government to send relief materials to assuage the suffering of the locals and   also beef up security to protect lives and property of the people.
So far, spokesman of the state police, Daniel Ezeala insisted that no report has been made to the command on the Sunday killings which some locals said had sent shivers into their spine as they deserted the area in droves.
“We are yet to get reports about the killings in the area,” Ezeala maintained.
One of the locals who spoke to our correspondent through the telephone claimed that by Sunday night, the death toll rose to 16   following the discovery of more bodies after the initial nine corpses that were found.
However, the member of the State House of Assembly representing Agatu constituency, Sule Audu confirmed that calm has gradually returned to the trouble area.
“Following Governor Suswam’s visit to the area, calm has been noticed, but the villages remained deserted while fear still grips the neighbouring environment,” he said.
A former  Chairman of Agatu local government area, Momoh Audu had earlier confirmed nine persons dead, but said the number was still counting as more bodies were being recovered.
Several communities in the Agatu riverine areas came under heavy attack by unknown gunmen in the past 14 days just as series of invasion continued to sack more villages.
At least, six villages had been sacked with property worth millions of naira destroyed on each attack.
  Audu said the latest attack carried on the Muslim worshippers between 5am and 6am at Ogwule-Ankpa village was the highest in disregard to the people’s freedom of worship.
“This is the first time Ogwule-Ankpa would be attacked by gunmen. It is sad that people who went out early in the morning to pray were killed in such gruesome manner right inside the mosque,” the lawmaker said sadly.
Locals said the recent attack in the area was quite different from the previous ones between farmers and cattle breeders which in their estimation is suggestive of the Boko Haram insurgents.
The development has forced the inhabitants to desert their homes, while the privileged one among them have permanently relocated to Otukpo which is about five hours drive to the troubled zone due to bad road.
Spokesman of the cattle breeders in the state, Garus Gololo declined comment, saying he was bereaved and out of town.
 Abdul Adaidu, a former councilor in the local government   told journalists on phone that at the time of the attack, most of the people were still asleep.
He said the invaders also went from   house to house shooting at the defenceless people which led to many of the residents sustaining varied degrees of injury.
Meanwhile, on the same day, Governor   Suswam visited some communities in the area which was previously attacked and sacked by the gunmen who spared nothing to burn down the villagers’ houses.
Suswam has expressed great shock over the damages done to Enogaje, one of the several communities attacked just as he decried the inability of the suspected Fulani people to abide by the resolution of the numerous peace brokered by governments of Benue and Nasarawa States respectively in Lafia.
The governor who was accompanied by his deputy, Chief Steven Lawani, the Secretary to State Government, David Salifu and leaders of security agencies in the state donated motorcycles to the people to facilitate information on suspicious moves in the area between the locals and security agents.