Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Up till this moment, Mr. Amose Usman, 37, still finds it difficult to believe that his wife, Aishatu, 32, and two of his five children are gone. They were among 19 locals who were murdered in cold blood by suspected killer herdsmen who invaded their Ebete, a fishing community in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, a fortnight ago, precisely on Tuesday, February 12, 2019.
But nine days before this sad incident, shouts of joy had resonated in his compound following the birth of their fifth child, a baby girl. Barely one week later, their joy soon turned into sorrow as messengers of death came in the dead of the night and sprayed hot bullets into their bodies, snuffing life out of many, on the spot.
Although our correspondent gathered that 16 bodies were picked from the scene of the incident the following day, three more victims later died at the hospital, bringing the number of deaths in the attack to 19.
Survivor’s tale
Some others who were injured including Usman and his nine-day-old baby who was said to have been taken for dead after being flung by the attackers into a corner of their ramshackle makeshift hut. The wounded are still receiving treatment in hospitals across the state.
According to one of the survivors, Mr. Peter Mohammed, the herdsmen launched the surprise attack on the sleepy community at about 1am on Tuesday. They came shooting and killing anyone in sight. Mohammed disclosed that 17 people, among them, men, women, and children, one of who is a two-month old baby, were killed by the invaders.
Speaking on his sick bed, Usman who lamented the killing of his wife and children during the provocative attack said he was awake that night when he saw some people in a boat heading towards their community.
“At first, I thought they were our people who were returning from fishing expedition because it’s normal to see fishermen returning that late,” he said. “After a while, I started hearing gunshots right in our community and I was wondering what was happening, hot bullet pierced through my buttocks and I quickly ran out of my hut and slipped into the river.
“The attackers who were speaking their language probably thought I was dead and so left me alone but went into the hut where my wife and children were sleeping and shot them. They shot into other huts too.”
Foreboding sign of the attack
Usman recalled that a few days before the incident the locals discovered that Fulani who settled in the community suddenly started moving their wives and children away into Loko in Nasarawa State.
He said some leaders of the community approached the Fulani who had returned to the area and were grazing freely without any challenge and they said there was no problem at all.
“Despite assurances by the Fulani that there was no problem, we, the villagers were at alert and kept vigil for two days but there was no attack. So, on the third day, when we all felt there wouldn’t be any attack, all of us went to sleep and it was that night that they struck.”
Why the attack is likely to continue
President, West African Network of Small Arms and Large Weapons, Josephine Habba who was one of the first callers at the community after the attack lamented the continuous use of arms against innocent people in the 21st century.
“The use of AK-47 has become like the use of knives,” she said. “Most of the bullet shells we picked were actually AK-47 bullets. It is a shame that in this age and time, people are still being innocently killed with arms and ammunition.” “I think the biggest of this gap is the terrain that our people live in. The community members were able to show us the route where their killers come in through which the security agencies should have known. When we got there, we were able to pick bullet shells after security agencies told us they had been there. We were surprised that they didn’t pick up those shells before we got there.
“This created some doubts in my heart because we travelled with a Hilux van, stopped at a point to pick a motorcycle and then had to trek about four kilometres to the scene. Sadly, we saw clearly that these people can be killed again if Nigeria’s security agencies do not make efforts to protect them. The reason is because they live on the riverbanks. The closest security camp to them is Obagaji, which is about 30 kilometres away.
“The challenge we have is not farfetched. I was wondering after the Iye community attack in Guma Local Government Area, where are the military in Benue? As close as the village is to the road, Fulani invaded the village shot and killed two people leaving many injured and dead.” Habba stressed the need for Nigerians to be worried about proliferation of arms across the country today.
“This must be brought to the front burner,” she noted. “We need to ensure that the next National Assembly must review the firearms laws of 1967 and ensure its passage. They must also ensure that the proposed bill to repeal the 1959 Firearms Act 2015, called ‘Proposed Bill for the Establishment of a National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons’ is properly looked into and passed into law.”
Appeals for calm and warning against reprisal attacks
Meanwhile, Governor Samuel Ortom has appealed to the people of Agatu Local Government Area to remain calm and to refrain from taking law into their hands, even as he charged security agencies to fish out perpetrators of the dastard act.
The Governor made the appeal at Oweto while receiving victims and survivors of the Tuesday night attack on Ebete community where the innocent men, women and children were killed in their sleep.
Ortom who was represented by his deputy, Engineer Benson Abounu said the state government would no longer tolerate the unprovoked killing of its citizens by people who do not mean well for the country. He wondered what could cause people in their right senses to kill a two-month old baby and defenceless women. He urged security agencies to carry out full investigations into the attack with a view to apprehending the perpetrators. He added that even in war situation, women and children are spared the horror of barbaric killings.
Earlier, the council chairman, Alhaji Oigocho briefed the governor on the attack on Ebete, and the suspicious role of the Fulani Ardo from neighbouring Nasarawa State in fueling the crisis. Also traditional ruler in charge of Agatu (Oche’Agatu), Chief Godwin Onah thanked the governor for coming to the aid of his people even as he called on the security agencies to be proactive in dealing with the security situation. He called for calm and appealed to his people not to embark on any reprisal attack, adding that vengeance belongs to God.
In his response, the Benue State Police Commissioner, Omololu Bishi, who was represented by ACP Adesina O. E, assured that the Police will leave no stone unturned in getting to the root of Tuesday attack, adding that all those behind the killings would be apprehended and prosecuted. He added that full investigation has commenced and therefore appealed to the people not to resort to self-help.