Tunde Oguntola
A woman who narrowly escaped been killed by fulani herdsmen, Mrs Kasuwa Gabriel has told the story of how her son, a medical doctor and all her family members were massacred during the conflict that engulfed in Agatu community in Benue state.
It would be recalled that some Fulani herdsmen which the Senate fingered as Boko Haram insurgents, again on March 5 invaded Agatu community killing and mailing.
Narrating her ordeal during a town hall meeting organized by Idoma Initiative in Abuja, during the weekend Mrs Gabriel recalled that herdsmen had on several occasion killed anyone who challenged them while using their crops to feed their cattles.
“As I stand here, I do not have even a family member or relation left. The dress I am putting on was given to me at an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Otukpo, Benue state. I am finished. I have lost everything.
“On that fateful day, I was farming on our family’s farmland when some herdsmen approached us and chased me and other women from the farm. We ran home to tell our husbands that the Fulani herdsmen are back again.
“My husband said: Why will that happen? Why are they wasting our crops?
“Just within few minutes, the herdsmen using guns and other weapons, overpowered and killed anyone who confronted them, chasing us out of our homes.
The minister of agriculture and rural development, Audu Ogbeh, who is also a native of Idoma said efforts are being made to ensure that the crisis is addressed.
He said: “I have told the president, we will move the cows to their states of origin, we have to grow the paddocks and move them.
“I will meet with the inspector general of police, Solomon Arase, and the minister of internal affairs, Abdulrahman Dambazau, to ensure that measures are taken to prevent further attacks from the herdsmen.Nobody is going to drive Idoma people out.’’
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