The Crisis Was Triggered By Aguta People-Fulani Community Leader

Fulani community in Benue State, that are accused of
killing hundreds in Agatu in Benue State, said
that the crisis started on Thursday after
10,000 of cattle belonging to its members were killed by
Agatu natives.

During a meeting between Aguta community ,Fulani 
community and Police Inspector General
Solomon Arase, Ado Boderi, who spoke on
behalf of the Fulani community, said criminal
elements from both sides escalated the crisis despite
the quick intervention of the governor. He said that Fulani herdsmen were a peace-loving people, whose main concern was the problem of cattle rustling.
Akpa Iduh, who spoke on behalf of the Agatu people, decried the continued unprovoked attacks on his
people by “Fulani mercenaries”.
Mr. Iduh, who said that the crisis started over five
decades ago, lamented that it had recently turned into a
war because of the types of weapons the herdsmen were
using against them. He alleged that the “Fulani
mercenaries” were killing both children and pregnant
women on sight, adding that they were powerless after
embracing the Benue Amnesty Programme and
surrendered illegal arms to
government.
“The herdsmen are bent on turning our land into their
grazing area, thereby rendering us homeless and
without food, is it because we are minority and poor
that they are using their numerical
advantage and wealth against us"
“We are going to remain in Agatu until the day they have succeeded in killing all of us.”
The Inspector- General of Police,
Solomon Arase, said that the force had deployed enough
policemen to end the clashes between
Agatu farmers and herdsmen in Benue State.
Mr. Arase, who was on a fact-finding
mission to the state, made the assertion
at a meeting between Agatu farmers and herdsmen.
He disclosed that the force had deployed
additional four units of police teams to
the area to arrest the situation.
“I am in Benue on the directives of Mr
President on a fact- finding mission, we have enough security officers to
end the ongoing crisis between farmers
and herdsmen in Agatu Local
Government Area of Benue, there
is no way we can all live
together without having disagreements
with one another at some point; it is the
way we manage the disagreements that
matters,both the farmers and herdsmen must
learn to cohabit with one another as a
nation for the peace and progress of
our people,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
reports that out of the 10 council wards
in Agatu Local Government Area, only
one ward was not affected in the
bloody clashes.