Its been free flow of bloodinBenue since the beginning of the year. No thanks to
suspected herdsmenwho in the last four monthshavecontinued to bare their fangs oncommunities inthestate, leaving many dead, scores injuredand several communities razed.
The pogrom whichstarted onthe firstday of the yearhas persistedandthe Federal governmentseemedto have lost every sense ofresponsibilityto have thekillings checked orto takedecisiveaction as itdid withthe IPOB agitators in thesouth east.
Perhapswhat would haveledto amajor crisis inthecountryafter theJanuary 1 killing ofclosedto 80persons was an attempted reprisal byyouthsofBenue whenthe remains ofthose killedinthetwo local government areas arrivedMakurdi town.
It took the intervention ofGovernorSamuel Ortom, who alsoescapedbeinglynchedby theangry youthsin Makurdi, for the youths to sheath thesword after persistent pleas from the bewilderedGovernor.
Sincethen, the killings have continued unabateddespite the 45daymilitary spike operationin thestatecode named Exercise Cat Race.
The killings eventually spread to GwerWest local government where close to 40 persons were killed bythemarauders, promptingthe Governorto urge thepeople of the stateto defend themselves against therampaging herdsmeneven with stones andsticks.
Undeterred bythe callandoutburstofthe Governor, the killer herdsmenbecameeven emboldenedand they have takentheorgy of killings fartherbynot onlyattack and killing innocentfarmersandtheir children but havealsotakentheir bloodletting to the church.
LastTuesday,twoCatholicPriestsand 17 worshippers at Mbalon in Gwer East Local governmentareaofBenue statewere brutally gunned
down at St. Ignatius Catholic QuasiParish Ukpor-Mbalom Gwer Eastlocalgovernment areaofthestate.
The massmurder again sparked angry reactionsfrom Benue youths, who took to thestreets to protest thenear neglect and insensitivityof the federalgovernmentto theongoing bloodbath in thestate.
The angry youthsshowedgreater determinationsto taketheir destinyin their own hands byembarking onreprisalson anyone identifiedas anortherner within the state oronpassingthrough thepopular Wurukumroundabout where every vehicle travelingfromthenorthto the south and eastern parts ofthe countrynavigates through.
Theymadebonfire, chanting warsongs, an indication that the youthsof the statewere preparedto embarkonfullreprisalsto compelthe seeming indifferentfederal governmentto wake up to its responsibilities of protecting the livesand propertyof all Nigerians irrespective of tribe orcreed.
The development, this week, forced all schools, banks and businessoutlets in the state capital to closeshop for fear ofafull blowncrisisthat could snowballinto major bloodbathofimaginableproportionin the state.
Onthesaid dayterrorovertook the entire state capital and adjourningcommunities. Everyone ranfor safety, parentsbesieged schoolsto taketheir wards backhome especially after theremains ofthe dead Priests arrivedthe BishopMurrayHospital morgue inMakurdi.
It was awar likesituation in the town and again thesituation wassaved byGovernor Ortom who was onhisannualleave and outsidethe statebut in constant touchwith theactingGovernorandheads ofsecurity agencies in the state.
Speakingto SaturdayVanguardonwhy youths ofBenue may resort to taking up arms ifthekillings in thestatecontinued, one ofthe protestingyouths, Michael Mbaar said if the federalgovernmentwould not stoptheBenue pogrom, youthsofthestate might resort to thekillingof anyonefound to be ofNorthernextraction resident in the state ortransiting through the state.
“If the federalgovernmentcontrolled by Fulanis thinkthey canwatch while their people kill our childrenand womenwe will takethelawsinto our handand resort to killing any Northerner we see in Benue evenif they are transiting.
“We are soundingthis warningbecause we willnomorehesitateto resortto aneye for aneye. And you know whatthat means, they aregradually leading our beloved Nigeria intoanotherRwanda.
“God and indeed the entire countryknow that we have beenpatientwith this governmentbut we cannomoresit and watch these heartlessherdsmenkill our people includingpregnant women and childrenin coldblood.
“We are now prepared to alldiein the course ofdefendingour state, children and wives.
“This conspiracy of silence against Benue must be stopped.”
Regrettably, despite the outcryand condemnation that trailed thekillingof two CatholicPriestsand17worshippers at Mbalon CatholicChurch in Gwer East Local governmentareaofthestate,herdsmen early Thursday, invaded the Africa Church, Mbamondo Ukemberagya Logolocal governmentareaofthestate,killingseven persons who were taking refugein the church after beingdisplacedbythe raging herdsmencrisisin the area.
At the momentthe entire stateis charged withfear writtenonallfaces as everyoneis obviouslyscaredofthe dimensionthelatest killing maytake in terms ofreprisals.
Botheredbytheunfoldingdevelopment Governor SamuelOrtom who hurriedlycut short his annual leaveto take fullchargeof thestate, implored the peopleto be resoluteandonceagain restatedhis callon thepeopleofthestateto defend themselves and their land from the marauders.
The Governorwho wasalsosummoned by theBenue stateHouseof Assemblyto brief members onactionstaking bytheState Security Councilto halt the incessant killingsin the statebyMilitant herdsmen, in astatement throughhis Media Adviser. Tahav Agerzua, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to orderthe arrestof theperpetratorsofwhat hedescribed as anongoing pogrom in thestateas well as leaders ofMiyetti AllahKautalHorefor allegedlysponsoring theongoing killings in thestate.
He vowedthat “no amount of killings would make thestatereview theOpen Grazing Prohibitionand Ranches EstablishmentLaw because itwas theproductoftheentire people whichis theonlysolution to the incessantfarmersandherders crisis.”
Reactingto the killingsin the state, former senate President, David Mark in a statement byhis Media Assistant, Paul Mumeh, lamented that the killingsinthe state had continued because noserious effort had beenmadeto arrest the perpetratorsofthemassacre.
Part ofthe statement read “I am saddened bythis unabating carnage.Thepeopleof BenueState areaccommodatingand law- abiding but itseems this gesturehas been misconstrued to be cowardice.
“Our peopleareknown for their bravery. We are notcowards. Something must be doneto stop this carnage.Enoughis enough.”
Onhispart, theChancellor oftheMakurdi CatholicDioceses, Rev. Fr. Jude Ortese who announcedthat the victimsof the Mbalon CatholicChurchmassacre would be accorded massburialdescribed the attack andkillings in thechurchasadirect waron thechurchwhichshouldbe stemmedto checkits spill overeffect.
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