Photos: Agatu Under Siege,Over 300 Killed And Displaced...No IDP Camps In Place.

 Fulani herdsmen are reportedly on a mission in Agatu local government – Number of displaced persons are on the rise as no shelter comes in sight – David Mark begs President Buhari to wade in as over  200 persons have been confirmed dead following a siege on the local government area of Benue state,Gov Samuel Ortom briefs presidency on the development.......

Few days ago  the local government area was under attack by over 300 militants, a development which was reported to have erupted following the Senate south rerun election in the state. Fresh reports from Vanguard have it that at least 300 persons have lost their lives following series of attacks by Fulani herdsmen in the last one week. 

Villages including Okokolo, Akwu, Ocholonya, Adagbo, Ugboku and Aila were reportedly razed as decomposing bodies of those killed were seen littering the communities. “Several communities including Obagaji, the local government headquarters, where people usually took refuge in the past, have been deserted. 

It is a well coordinated attack on Agatu communities. “As I speak with you, fighting is still raging; many are missing and we have a huge number of displaced persons without facilities to house them,” a source at the local government confirmed. Opiatoha K’Idoma, a socio-cultural organisation of Idoma sons and daughters, also issued a statement through its secretary, Adoka Adaji, where it stated that the crisis had created a huge refugee situation in the area. The statement read: “What we see happening in Agatu today can be likened to happenings in the North-East and we call for urgent action by the Federal Government. “The Idoma nation is helpless. 

Over 200 Agatu people have been killed and others maimed in one week without concerted effort by the state government to abate the attack, killings and destruction. “On the other hand, there are no identifiable camps to cater for the Internally Displaced Persons, which include mostly women and children; we call on the Federal Government to establish a full military base in Agatu, otherwise the area will soon become history.

 Senator David Mark, a former Senate president who hails from Benue, has now called on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently mobilise security apparatus to the area in order to put “a stop to the senseless carnage currently ravaging Agatu.” While lamenting the non-stop attacks on Agatu communities, Mark, who spoke through his special assistant, Benue liaison, Adakole Elijah, urged government to station soldiers in the area to check the attacks. He also urged Benue and Nasarawa state governments to take steps to check the carnage.


Meanwhile the Gov Samuel Ortom is aleady in Abuja to discuss the issue with the vice president,he held a meeting with the VP on ways of finding a lasting solution to the carnage which he said is getting out of hand.



Aditional reports fron Vanguard and Naij.