Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State on Wednesday raised the alarm that six local governments in the state are currently under attack from killer herders.
Alia identified the affected local governments as Apa, Agatu, Logo, Ukum, Katsina-Ala and Kwande.
Featuring on Arise Television's Morning Show, the governor described the attacks as deliberate and calculated.
He said his administration has fought the killer herders and reduced the number of local governments under their siege.
According to Alia: “The state was badly under attacks, we had 17 local governments that were under attacks when we came in since one year and nine months ago, we fought this to nine local governments that are now heavily under attacks.
“As I speak, we have six local governments under attacks and these include Apa, Agatu, Logo, Ukum, Katsina-Ala, and Kwande.
“We fought the best we could and got it trimmed down to nine and the nine were the most under fire.
“In zone C, we have Apa, Agatu and of late Otukpo, there were some skirmishes from where they came and went back.
“Other terrible attacks we experienced were from Guma, Gwer West, East, Kwande, Logo, Katsina Ala and Ukum.
“But again, we intensified our fight against these insurgents, so what happens now is that we have six that are fully in the front lines which includes, Katsina-Ala, Ukum, and Gwer West.
“We all know that it's the armed herders who come in to attack, usually there were routes these people could walk with their cattles – all through Benue State to the South – but with the increase in population, there are no spaces anymore.
“We are agrarian people, we farm, so where they now pass is our farmland. So, as they are grazing through, we experience a lot of destruction of farmlands and planted elements and produce on the farms.
“We fought that, we had to speak with different categories of people by their own ranks and rights for all these things to calm down, and this is why everything is down to the nine local governments.
“The people who are attacking us now plus the herders are not just coming with any herds at all, they come fully armed with their AK-47 and 49s, they come in alone wearing one dress and can stay in the bushes for as long as they can until they do their task and disappear, after which, their folks come in to occupy those spaces.
“These attacks are deliberate. In Apa and Agatu, the attacks were very vehement and of late Otukpo local government is included. What we experienced in Otukpo is the kidnapping and very large sum of ransoms are attached to that.
“These attacks are very deliberate, calculated because they come in and attack fully with the intents of killing and occupation.”
