By Cross Udo, Abuja
A member of the House of Representatives, Terseer Ugbor, has raised the alarm that Fulani herders have taken over 40 percent of land in Benue State and thousands of people displaced.
The lawmaker, who alleged that over 13 persons were slaughtered by the herders on Monday, said that their dastardly act has produced more orphans in the state.
He called on President Bola Tinubu and the security agencies to intervene before the people were completely wiped out from their ancestral homes.
He further accused the Fulani herders of a deliberate agenda to grab more lands that belonged to the Benue people.
Briefing journalists in Abuja yesterday on the recent onslaught by the herders on the people, Ugbor, who represents Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency of Benue State in the House of Representatives, said that from December 25, 2024, to the end of the year, the herders had a field day maiming the people and destroying the property of his constituents.
He said, “As you may be aware, just recently we had over the 2024 Christmas season, we had an attack where the bandit Fulani herdsmen in Kwande, local government, which is a border community with Cameroon, and this attack took place between December 25 and the New Year.
“It got so bad that the bandits dared to attack an immigration outpost in that community and burnt down this outpost, which was the only standing security presence that we had in that border community with Cameroon.
“This immigration outpost did not necessarily have equipment or arms to defend itself. It was more of an intelligence-gathering output, but at least it provided a semblance of security.
“In the course of that attack, the bandits took a detour, which took them into the Cameroonian territory, and the Cameroonian Gendarmes attacked them and killed so many of them. This thing became headline news in Cameroon, where they mentioned that the Nigerian Fulani bandits were killing and attacking the Cameroon military.
“So, this critical international dimension could become a crisis beyond our control and understanding if we don’t take notes. And then recently, just yesterday (Monday), to be precise, there was another killing that took place by the same Fulani bandits, which are suspected to be based and camped around the Kashmibila area.
“From the last count, we heard that about 13 persons have been killed, and their bodies have been recovered. The Kashimbila area is where we have the Kashimbila power plant and the dam located. And also, an airport has just recently been commissioned there.
“And, of course, a university is being built, and other national infrastructure is coming up around that axis. And of course, with this international border, you will also be aware that the community in Turan in Kwande local government also has a United Nations refugee camp where the refugees from Cameroon, who are running away from the Ambazonian fighters, have been lodged for protection by the United Nations.
“So, this thing has a lot of dimensions to it that, if not checked, will become a significant crisis point for our country, Nigeria, mainly that region has also been recently found to have natural resources like gold, lithium, and other precious stones. So there’s a lot of illegal mining going on in that region.
“Why I decided to call this press briefing is to let the government of the country, and, of course, the government of Benue state and our people at home, know that our region of Benue state is a border community with so much potential to become a significant economic hub for Nigeria and the people of Benue state.
“We have clamoured over the last few years that the international border with Cameroon through Benue state should be established appropriately, and the export processing zone, which was approved many years ago for that region, should be activated, and industrial activities and commercial activities opened up for the area, so that, that region does not become a crisis hotspot, and the country can reap the benefits of international trade, reap the benefits of industrialisation, with the presence of the power plant, with the presence of an airport, and then with the natural resources and the access roads around the area, into the international community.
“It’s a vibrant and prime area for economic activities and economic prosperity for Nigeria and Benue state.”
Ugbor continued, “The major problem with this issue is the food insecurity that it will bring. And has started to bring on our people in Benue and Nigeria as a whole. As of the last information we have, over 40 percent of the arable farmlands in Benue state have been taken over by the Fulani bandits, so our farmers are unable to go to their farms. The production capacity and the state’s production have dropped significantly because of the loss of produce and farmland in Benue State.
“So, this issue is dire for our country, Nigeria, and the people of Benue state. This is not just for my constituency of Kwande/ Ushongo but also across Benue state. There are several other places like Agatu, Guma, Gwer East, and Gwer West, where daily attacks occur.
“And this issue has gone on for over 10 years now without the proper focus being put on Benue state like it is being done across other regions in Nigeria.
“So, this meeting is to appeal to the federal government of Nigeria under our dear President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is doing very well in stabilizing the country regarding reforms, policies, and other areas of our national life.
“But in the area of security, unfortunately, in Benue state, we need more support. We need more men on the ground. We need more boots on the ground, and we need to incorporate technology so that we can curb the insecurity that started in Benue years ago and seems to be getting to levels where, if not checked on, time will have a big problem on our hands.”
Asked what the political leaders from the place are doing to curtail the activities of the herdsmen, he said: “But for me, as a representative and as a policy expert looking at this issue from a different dimension, I believe that the solution to this crisis is economic development and economic prosperity for people.
“The solution to this problem is to open up the region to economic development, industrial activities, and commercial activities. We need to open up the farmlands there. We need to protect those farmlands as an asset for Benue State. Our asset in Benue State is our farm, our farm produce. So we need to see our farmlands as assets, just like the Niger Delta people see the oil as their assets.
“Our asset in Benue state is our agriculture; we are the food basket of Nigeria. So until we begin to treat the agricultural space, the farmlands, and the open spaces that produce the food that we consume in Nigeria, which Benue State produces, we are the number one producer of so many of the food crops we eat in Nigeria.
“Our food, land, and agriculture are our assets and contribution to our country, Nigeria. So, until we see our asset, our agriculture, as an asset and protect it as a national and state asset, and we deploy the required resources to protect and expand these assets and industrialize these assets, we will continue to face this problem.
“A lot of the land being encroached on and taken over by the bandits is happening because these are open spaces without any government presence, no state government presence, no federal government presence. So, naturally, when the invaders see open spaces without any presence from the government, it is easy for them to take over.
“But if there was government presence, even if it was a road, if it’s infrastructure, even if it’s a police base, if it’s a school if it’s a hospital, something to show that this territory belongs to the people of Benue state, belongs to this community and there’s industrial activity going on in these areas, that activity will create economic activity that will help to integrate people, both the settlers and the indigenous of the regions.
“This will help foster unity and development in these communities. And with time, through this economic model, the issues of insecurity will significantly reduce, of course, with the conventional security forces providing cover for this activity.
The lawmaker said that the level of casualty in the area as a result of the herder’s attack was unquantifiable, adding that the heartless herders have killed thousands of his constituents.
