Over 75 farmers have been killed from May 2024 to date by the marauding herdsmen in the Turan Community of Kwande local government area of Benue State in 15 attacks, while three council wards in Turan are under siege.
A community leader, Dr. Joseph Akanyi who spoke on behalf of the Turan community during a visit by the Benue State Security Council led by the director general Bureau for Home Security Air Commandore Jacob Gbamwuan, who visited the affected communities to get first hand information on the attacks and assessment of those injured and those who lost their loved ones, said within eight months, the community had lost over 75 persons.
While appealing to the government to support the burial and treatment of the injured, Dr Akanyi informed that aside from lost lives, scores are suffering with varying degrees of injuries and others are left with permanent disabilities adding that, all corpses found decomposed are being buried immediately by the community.
According to him, "We want the government to know that all the five council wards in Turan Community are under siege, except one, which is Yaav council ward, which is housing most of the displaced persons."
Narrating the aim of the visit, the commissioner for Sport, Youth Development and Creativity Terkimbi Ikyange explained that they were in Kwande at the governor's insistence to condole with the victims and those who lost their loved ones during the Christmas attack. They also carried out assessments of the injured and the level of destruction and presented food items to them through the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
In an interview with the youth leader of Mbaikyor, one of the badly affected council wards, Igbawua Gandepuun, informed that over 17 persons were killed on Christmas and 3,000 displaced saying if the government do not come to their aid Mbaikyor council ward will also be taken over by the herders just as they took over Moon.
Also speaking, the Ter Kwande, His Royal Highness Timothy Ahire, attributed the sustained attacks on the Turan community to poor response and negligence to intelligence reports as well as the inadequate security agents posted to the area.
He said, "We had prior information about the planned attack by these terrorists on Christmas Day and passed it to the security personnel here but they didn't do anything.
"We are appealing to the federal government and our political leaders to take it upon themselves and talk to the FG to build a security post and also construct roads leading to affected communities for easy access. Especially those communities sharing boundaries with Cameron and Taraba where these bandits and criminals often infiltrate to attack local residents."
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In his remarks, the commander 401 Brigade Brig. Gen. S. Rabiu who expressed shock at the level of killings and destruction. He promised to deploy more security personnel to the area, even as he assured that what happened would not repeat again.
Earlier, the executive secretary of SEMA Sir James Iorpuu who was also on the team expressed shock over the killings and destruction done in the affected communities and commended the governor's proactive response. "My presence here is to bring foodstuff to support those affected by the attacks," Iorapuu added.
