Benue House Caucus Flay Fg Over Agatu Killings

BEVERLY HILLS, March 18, (THEWILL) –  The Benue State Caucus in the House of Representatives has flayed the Federal Government over its “lukewarm attitude” to the massacre of over 1,000 people in Agatu Local Government of the state.

The caucus members said the massacre of the people of the state by Fulani herdsmen is a genocide being downplayed or being ignored until it spirals out of control.

Speaking with journalists on Friday, in Abuja, the caucus leader, Hon. Orker Jev, representing Buruku Federal Constituency, observed that despite the outrage of the Agatu killings which should be condemned, the federal government had said only a few sympathetic comments.

Flanked by other members of the caucus, Jev disclosed that they had observed that every planting season in Benue is heralded by serial attacks from the herdsmen, who would also return during the harvesting season.

He alleged that no concrete move had been made to stop the killings in Benue by the Federal Government adding that the killings were still being carried out as he queried the sources of the sophisticated ammunition brandished by the herdsmen.

“We condemn the belated reaction of President Muhammadu Buhari and his Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Danbazzau (rtd) who broke their unholy silence a week after over 500 people were killed and 10 villages razed in Agatu area of the state,” he said on behalf of the group.

“It is curious that up till today, the Investigative Panel purportedly instituted by the Federal Government to inquire into the attacks has not been made public or inaugurated.”

According to the caucus, eight local government areas, including Agatu, Buruku, Guma, Gwer-west, Logo, Kwande, Gwer- East and Katsina- Ala have been under perennial heavy attacks from the Fulani herdsmen since 2013.

Story by David Oputah