The Chairman Committee’s Technical Subcommittee Governor Dave
Umahi of Ebonyi State had told journalists in Yola, that the governor of
state, Mr. Jibrilla Bindow had set up committees in the past to mediate
in the conflict but suspicion has not allowed peace to be achieved
totally.
However, the Miyetti Allah group had advocated for proper
identification of all herdsmen and their cattle in the state so as to
know when foreign herdsmen enter the state as it is alleged that these
herdsmen are mainly those that do the killings.
Security experts said, the foreign herdsmen the Miyetti Allah was
referring to must have been working with an insider to perpetrate their
nefarious activities adding that the Miyetti Allah should be in a better
position to identify these herdsmen since it is saddled with the
responsibility of championing the cause of the local herdsmen.
By the statement of the group, it appears the group lacks the ability to
control the activities of the local herdsmen, if not, the group would have
done everything possible to persuade the foreign herdsmen from
denting their image.
Secondly, they said the assailants always write letters to the
communities they wish to attack before they attack which by
implication, the Miyetti Allah, the government and the security agencies
must have been aware of the herdsmen coming to attack.
At the forum all the groups made their submissions both orally and
papers were submitted. “We noticed that the crisis between herdsmen
and farmers occurred most in three local government areas which
include, Numan, Demsa and Lamurdeb, minor levels in Girei and
Shelleng,” said Umahi
The chairman said, in the course of their interactions, the
representative of Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Mohammed Brikindo
Musdafa and representative of Hamma of Bachawa, Stephen Iyrimiya,
Commissioner for Livestock Production, advocated for state government
to put up strong policy on how to manage the livestock production in the
state.
“We noted that we have 31 grazing reserves in the state totaling 105,
646 hectres of land of which the state government submitted that some
of these gazetted reserves have been encroached on.
“We therefore recommended that the state and federal governments
do group the herdsmen in the state into these gazetted reserves, use
the Anchor Borrowers’ scheme to develop them with modern facilities
that will guarantee great yield of the cattle, make water, grass
available, schools, a veterinary clinic and milk factory production
available,” he said.
He said the stakeholders have agreed that with the increase in cattle,
crop production and decrease in land, due to climate change, there will
continue to be conflict unless cattle movement is restricted into grazing
reserve.
Unfortunately the herdsmen were not patient to give the committee
time to conclude its assignment and violated the agreement reached at
the stakeholders’ forum by their recent killings and razing down of five
communities.
The hostilities meted on these communities claimed many lives including
the Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr.
Sam Zadock and several prominent men in the affected areas.
According to reports, some people were killed by herdsmen while trying
to escape through the River Benue and their dead bodies were yet to be
recovered from the river.
The District Head of Gwamba village, Chief. Josaih Ayah, said they
buried 37 persons killed by the herdsmen while over 30 people were
injured and property worth millions of naira were also destroyed.
He expressed his disappointment over the dearth of security in the
country which he said could result to people carrying small guns to
protect themselves since the government cannot provide security for its
people.
The PDP confirmed the death of Zadock, who was among the 37 persons
killed in the attack between herdsmen and farmers in Gwamba Village
of Demsa Local Government Area of the State.
Confirming his death, the state secretary of the PDP, Hon. Abdullahi
Parambe said the party would surely miss the absence of Zadok who
have been instrumental to its development especially in the southern
senatorial district of the state.
While addressing journalists in Yola, Parambe said the deceased was also
an ex-commissioner in Ministry of Youth and Sports under the
administration of former governor Murtala Nyako and had never
attempted to defect to any political party.
The party also condemned in strong terms the wanton killings but called
for calm as it called on the present government to as a matter urgency
stop the killings.
Zadock was said to have been ambushed by the assailants suspected to
be Fulani herdsmen on their way to the troubled area to broker peace.
Reports had it that the late former commissioner and his entourage
were a stone throw to the troubled areas when they were attacked and
killed instantly.
Until his demise, Zadock was the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples
Democratic Party, in Adamawa State and was an ally to Senator Grace
Bent.
Zadock who participated during the just concluded peace initiative
between the Fulani herdsmen and farmers headed by the Governor of
Ebonyi State, Umahi, called on the immediate redeployment of the
Brigade Commander of the 232 Batalion, Yola, for taking side with the
herdsmen.
Responding on behalf of the state government, the Commissioner of
Information and Strategy, Comrade Ahmed Sajoh, commended the
military for stopping the situation from escalating further.
He said those arrested in connection with the attack would be
prosecuted and justice delivered at the end of the day to serve as
deterrent to others adding that the government in collaboration with
the military authorities have deployed more solders to those affected
areas.
The commissioner said the state government sympathised with the
victims of the attack and has sent relief materials to the troubled area
to cushion the effect of the attacks.
Also speaking, a native of Gwamba Village, Mr. Omayan Tambaya
confirmed that 20 natives from his village were massacred while 30 were
injured and many houses were razed down as residents flee to a nearby
village for safety.
Tambaya explained that the assailants numbering about 50 stormed the
village driving in four Hilux vans and motorcycles shooting sporadically
at the people.
He said that letters and phone calls were received from the assailants
two weeks before the attack and reported same to the police division in
Gwamba for necessary action, but was surprised that despite the report
to the police, no action was taken to avert the ugly situation
He lamented that the entire Gwamba Village has been razed down and
about 2,500 residents displaced as a result of the attack while property
worth millions of naira were destroyed.
Confirming the incident, the Police Spokesman in the State, SP Othman
Abubakar said a combined team of military and police had moved to the
village which was burnt down and the residents deserted.
According to the PPRO, while trailing the assailants, one Bula youth was
arrested with one AK47 riffle with 41 rounds of 7.62mm while the team
moved to Garikiji Village where six herdsmen were also arrested.
Items recovered included one locally made riffle with 25 cartridges, a
cutlass, bow and arrow, charms and looted clothes are currently in the
custody of the army.