The Chairman of Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, Melvin Ejeh, has ordered herders to vacate Agatu land with immediate effect following renewed violent attacks that have left residents de@d, injured and displaced. Ejeh also revoked a 2017 agreement that granted herders access to Adepati Island for grazing, declaring the deal null and void. In a statement issued in Makurdi, the chairman said the pact was never implemented in good faith and had ultimately endangered the local population. He linked the latest attacks to armed herders who allegedly infiltrated Agatu communities after recent military airstrikes in neighbouring areas, particularly in the Sokoko axis. According to Ejeh, the fleeing groups unleashed unprecedented terror on innocent residents, resulting in multiple de@ths, serious injuries, reported cases of r@pe, widespread destruction of homes and farmlands, and the displacement of hundreds of people now living in dire humanitarian conditions. Describing the unfolding events as both a security and humanitarian crisis, he condemned the attacks and insisted they could not be allowed to continue. Our people are being hunted on their ancestral land without provocation, and this cannot be allowed to continue, he said. Announcing the revocation of the grazing agreement, Ejeh said: That agreement, entered into by the then administration of Agatu LG, was never carried out in good faith. It was done under the guise of promoting peaceful coexistence, but at the expense of the Agatu people Consequently, I hereby declare the agreement null and void and of no effect whatsoever. He added that all armed herders are hereby ordered to vacate Agatu land with immediate effect, stressing that Agatu is an agrarian community whose farmlands must be protected to ensure food security and livelihoods. Ejeh appealed to the Federal Government and security agencies to urgently reinforce military and police deployments, saying existing arrangements were insufficient to contain the escalating attacks. He commended Benue State Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia for his efforts to restore peace and praised joint security operations involving Operation Whirl Stroke, the police, DSS, NSCDC and other agencies. The chairman disclosed that several suspects had already been arrested in connection with the violence and assured that investigations were ongoing. The position of the Agatu people is unequivocal, at this time, no herder is welcome on Agatu land, he said, adding that any future dialogue would require broad consultation through legitimate channels. He urged residents to remain calm, vigilant and law-abiding, warning against taking the law into their own hands as security agencies work to stabilize the area..
0 Comments