A former vice-chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture in Makurdi, the capital city of Benue, Daniel Uza, said the unprovoked wave of attacks in Nigeria’s Middle Belt state of Benue since 2013 have continued because the crisis between herders and farmers in the state has been politicized.
Benue, known as Nigeria’s food basket, has an economy that is driven by agriculture, and it grows more soybeans, yam, rice, etc. than any other Nigerian state.
The herders who have been observed to carry submachine guns, AK 47s, and other sophisticated weapons, are competing with farmers for land and grazing areas. They not only kill, but also destroy settlements, burn farmlands and barns, and loot food items.
Uza said many people who could proffer lasting solutions to the violence would rather keep their mouths shut than talk for fear of being the target of an attack. Meanwhile, local media reported last week that President Bola Tinubu has sent “enough security personnel” to Benue to defend citizens.
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
