2nd May, 2015
Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue, has called on the security agencies to arrest of all those responsible for last Saturday’s killings in Guma Local Government Area of the state.
Suswam, represented by Mr Stephen Ugbor his Special Adviser on Security Matters, made the call on Thursday in Guma during a meeting between the government, Tiv farmers and Fulani herdsmen.
NAN reports that the government called the meeting to find lasting solution to the lingering crises between Tiv farmers and Fulani herdsmen in the area.
NAN recalled that several people lost their lives on Saturday last week in Guma council area when crises erupted between Fulanis in Keana Local government area of Nasarawa state and Tiv farmers.
The State Police Command Public Relations Officer, ASP Austin Ezeani, said gunmen suspected to be Fulani youths from a neighbouring village in Nasarawa state, invaded Guma to avenge the killing of two Fulani men by Tiv youths last week.
“Some Tiv youths had earlier last week, attacked, robbed and killed two Fulani herdsmen who were passing by a village in Guma Local Government Area.
“So the Fulanis armed themselves with guns and launched an attack on the people of Mbaduen District of Guma and killed ten persons,” Ezeani told newsmen.
Suswam urged the police from Benue and Nasarawa state to team up and ensure that the perpetrators of the killings were arrested and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.
In his remark, the Chairman of Guma LGA, Mr Amos Aboh expressed regret that the crises occurred at the start of the cropping season.
He said that all the farmers in Guma had fled their villages for fear of further attacks.
In their separate remarks, the representative of Tiv farmers, Aliyu Tershaku and the representative of the Fulanis, Halilu Babaji, blamed the incident on the activities of criminals.
They contended that most of the crises which occurred in the area were started by criminals who disguised as either Tiv youths or Fulanis to perpetrate evil.
Tershaku, who is also the Chairman of the Civilian Joint Task Force, appealed to Benue government to empower his men to enable them assist security agencies arrest the criminals and those selling arms to them.