Benue: 27 killed in Tiv/Fulani crisis in 4 days •We are not aware - Police

THERE was renewed hostility between Fulani herdsmen and indigenes of Mbalagh community of Makurdi local government area of Benue state where about 27 persons have been killed and 17 others are said to be missing.
The crisis which began last Sunday till Tuesday has forced women and children of the community to barricade the Makurdi-Lafia expressway in protest of the killings.
The development has  led to a traffic jam as both motorists and commuters heading outside or coming into the capital city find it difficult to gain entry until the soldiers, allegedly attached to the 72 battalion near the protest site dispersed the crowd with tear gas canisters.
Speaking to newsmen about the development, 45-year-old Mnyam Mattew who had injuries on his right eye alleged that the women trooped out to draw government’s attention to their plight.
On Matthew, an indigene of the affected community said what forced the women to the street as early as 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday was the rape of a 13-year-old girl by three suspected Fulani invaders.
He also alleged that the Fulani herdsmen had long liaised with the soldiers of the 72 battalion barracks within the locality to unleash terror on their people, lamenting however that government had done nothing about the matter despite several petitions to it.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker representing Makurdi North at the State House of Assembly, Avine Agbom has questioned the involvement of the Army in a civil peaceful protest which had the blessing of the Benue police command.
He accused the soldiers of carrying out the illicit operation which led to the death of 27 persons within a space of few days, adding that only professional gunmen could have carried out the level of destruction done to the village by the invaders.
“I think the military are so involved in this matter because the operation carried out was highly sophisticated. The operation was highly professional.”
While condemning the attack on the protesting women, Agbom queried the authority of the suspected soldiers who dispersed the protesters using force which he claimed eventually led to the death of one boy and several injured persons now in the hospital.
“It is unthinkable! Why were soldiers involved in a civil demonstration? Are the soldiers neutral in this matter or involved?” he asked.
Efforts to reach the Commander in charge of the 72 battalion on his telephone did not yield result at the time of this report.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Daniel Ezeala who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune on phone said that the command did not know the reason for barricading the highway which he said had been dismantled by his men adding that the command was not aware of any crisis in the community.
According to him, ‘we are trying to know the reason for barricading the highway by the people in Mbalagh community as I’m talking to you now, we have dismantled the barrier on the road, police is everywhere now. As for the crisis, I’m not aware of such but we are trying to find out what actually happened.”
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