Latest news with #Makurdi
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nigerian president orders crackdown on gangs after 150 killed in conflict-hit north
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday directed security agencies to hunt down the perpetrators of a weekend attack that killed at least 150 people in the country's northcentral, as he faces growing pressure over a worsening security crisis. Tinubu visited Benue state, the site of the recent deadly attacks, seeking to calm tensions and promise justice for the victims. 'We will restore peace, rebuild, and bring the perpetrators to justice. You are not alone.' the Nigerian leader said on X. Assailants stormed Benue state's Yelewata community from Friday night till Saturday morning, opening fire on villagers who were asleep and setting their homes ablaze, survivors and the local farmers union said. Many of those killed were sheltering in a local market after fleeing violence in other parts of the state. Authorities in Benue state blamed herdsmen for the attack, a type of violence frequently seen in northern Nigeria's decadeslong pastoral conflict. Opposition leaders and critics have accused Tinubu of a delayed response to the killings, noting his office issued a statement over 24 hours after the attack. His visit to the state occurred five days later. The Nigerian leader traveled to Makurdi, Benue State's capital, where he visited a hospital to see those injured in the attack and met with local leaders to discuss how to end the killings. He did not visit the Yelewata community. He also appeared to reprimand the police for not making any arrest yet more than four days after the killings. 'How come no arrest has been made? I expect there should be an arrest of those criminals,' Tinubu asked as he addressed senior police officers during a gathering in Benue. Analysts blame Nigeria's worsening security crisis on a lack of political will to go after criminals and ensure justice for victims. 'In the end, the result is the same: No justice, no accountability, and no closure for the victims and their communities," said Senator Iroegbu, a security analyst based in Nigeria's capital Abuja. 'Until this changes, impunity will remain the norm, and such tragedies will continue to occur.' ____ Follow AP's Africa coverage at: Dyepkazah Shibayan, The Associated Press
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Nigerian president orders crackdown on gangs after 150 killed in conflict-hit north
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday directed security agencies to hunt down the perpetrators of a weekend attack that killed at least 150 people in the country's northcentral, as he faces growing pressure over a worsening security crisis. Tinubu visited Benue state, the site of the recent deadly attacks, seeking to calm tensions and promise justice for the victims. 'We will restore peace, rebuild, and bring the perpetrators to justice. You are not alone.' the Nigerian leader said on X. Assailants stormed Benue state's Yelewata community from Friday night till Saturday morning, opening fire on villagers who were asleep and setting their homes ablaze, survivors and the local farmers union said. Many of those killed were sheltering in a local market after fleeing violence in other parts of the state. Authorities in Benue state blamed herdsmen for the attack, a type of violence frequently seen in northern Nigeria's decadeslong pastoral conflict. Opposition leaders and critics have accused Tinubu of a delayed response to the killings, noting his office issued a statement over 24 hours after the attack. His visit to the state occurred five days later. The Nigerian leader traveled to Makurdi, Benue State's capital, where he visited a hospital to see those injured in the attack and met with local leaders to discuss how to end the killings. He did not visit the Yelewata community. He also appeared to reprimand the police for not making any arrest yet more than four days after the killings. 'How come no arrest has been made? I expect there should be an arrest of those criminals,' Tinubu asked as he addressed senior police officers during a gathering in Benue. Analysts blame Nigeria's worsening security crisis on a lack of political will to go after criminals and ensure justice for victims. 'In the end, the result is the same: No justice, no accountability, and no closure for the victims and their communities,' said Senator Iroegbu, a security analyst based in Nigeria's capital Abuja. 'Until this changes, impunity will remain the norm, and such tragedies will continue to occur.' ____ Follow AP's Africa coverage at:
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Nigerian president orders crackdown on gangs after 150 killed in conflict-hit north
Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday directed security agencies to hunt down the perpetrators of a weekend attack that killed at least 150 people in the country's northcentral, as he faces growing pressure over a worsening security crisis. Tinubu visited Benue state, the site of the recent deadly attacks, seeking to calm tensions and promise justice for the victims. 'We will restore peace, rebuild, and bring the perpetrators to justice. You are not alone.' the Nigerian leader said on X. Assailants stormed Benue state's Yelewata community from Friday night till Saturday morning, opening fire on villagers who were asleep and setting their homes ablaze, survivors and the local farmers union said. Many of those killed were sheltering in a local market after fleeing violence in other parts of the state. Authorities in Benue state blamed herdsmen for the attack, a type of violence frequently seen in northern Nigeria's decadeslong pastoral conflict. Opposition leaders and critics have accused Tinubu of a delayed response to the killings, noting his office issued a statement over 24 hours after the attack. His visit to the state occurred five days later. The Nigerian leader traveled to Makurdi, Benue State's capital, where he visited a hospital to see those injured in the attack and met with local leaders to discuss how to end the killings. He did not visit the Yelewata community. He also appeared to reprimand the police for not making any arrest yet more than four days after the killings. 'How come no arrest has been made? I expect there should be an arrest of those criminals,' Tinubu asked as he addressed senior police officers during a gathering in Benue. Analysts blame Nigeria's worsening security crisis on a lack of political will to go after criminals and ensure justice for victims. 'In the end, the result is the same: No justice, no accountability, and no closure for the victims and their communities," said Senator Iroegbu, a security analyst based in Nigeria's capital Abuja. 'Until this changes, impunity will remain the norm, and such tragedies will continue to occur.' ____
BBC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Benue killings: What you need to know about Nigeria's herder-farmer conflict
Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu has ordered security agencies to bring an end to a wave of killings in the central Benue is believed that more than 200 people have died in a series of attacks across various communities in the last few days described the killings as "inhuman and anti-progress". He was speaking after hundreds stormed the streets of the state capital Makurdi to protest against the say thousands have been forced to flee their homes. How serious is the violence in Benue? This not a new problem but it has escalated analyst Kabir Adamu, head of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, told the BBC that according to their database, 1,043 people were killed in Benue between May 2023 and May state has been at the centre of a violent conflict between herders and farmers that has led to the killing of thousands of civilians and many members of the security forces in Nigeria's so-called Middle Belt going back many years. Herders, mostly from the Fulani ethnic group, move around to find food for their cattle, bringing them into conflict with the owners of farms, who say the cattle trample their crops and pollute water sources. Some of them are armed with powerful guns, saying they need to protect themselves from cattle the farmers often blame the Fulanis for the violence, one of the community's leaders, Baba Othman Ngelzarma, told the BBC that his people were not behind the killings in Benue.'Our people are not behind the Benue killings, we know there are some unresolved issues in Benue which have been there for some time.'But we have never allowed any of our people to attack or kill others,' he authorities have not blamed any group but it is safe to assume that there are lots of victims on both sides, as any attack usually leads to revenge and then a cycle of violence. What is behind the violence? The ongoing insecurity in Benue State is a complex issue stemming from a mix of economic, environmental, socio-political, and governance factors."Environmental degradation, notably climate change-induced desertification and irregular rainfall patterns in Nigeria's northern regions, plays a critical role," says analyst Mr Adamu."These pressures compel herders to migrate southward... including Benue State, where resources are already strained."Rapid population growth in these areas further intensifies the competition for limited land and water, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of environmental stress, migration, and conflict escalation," he is an additional factor as the Fulanis are mostly Muslim while the farming communities in Benue are also blame the authorities for not providing more security or coming up with policies that address the economic needs of both communities. What is the government doing about the conflict? Both the state and national governments have tried various policies over the years but none have proved successful Adamu says a federal joint task force was launched in 2018 and then another one last month, the Forest Guards."This national system aims to recruit armed operatives to secure forest reserves from terrorists and criminals."Public affairs analyst Sam Philip, who lives in Makurdi, says the conflict has not been getting the attention it deserves for years, with the government focusing on other security crises like the Boko Haram insurgency in the north-east, the demand for secession in parts of the south-east and a wave of kidnapping for ransom in the north-west."I feel this issue has been ignored for long in terms of real attention from the government and that is why things continue to escalate," he noted. How can it be resolved? Mr Adamu says any solution needs to have both security and economic elements."One way of having lasting peace in Benue is through sustained and adaptive security presence, what it means is to deploy more tactical and intelligence-based special forces to Benue State, ensuring their presence is sustained and adaptable to shifting also says that that the government needs to provide grazing land for the herders so they don't come into conflict with farmers."The aim should be to ensure it is equitable and provides viable, sustainable alternatives for pastoralists," he President Muhammadu Buhari did come up with such a plan, however this was rejected by states in the south, who saw it as a way of giving the Fulanis a share of their land. More BBC stories on Nigeria: At least 45 killed in central Nigeria raidDisbelief as Nigeria urges prayer to end food shortagesCulture and colour come out in praise of a Nigerian king Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Arab News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Police break up Nigeria protest as anger mounts over killings in southern state
JOS, Nigeria: Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters in the central city of Makurdi on Sunday, as anger mounted over the killing of dozens of people by gunmen in a nearby town. Gunmen attacked the village of Yelewata on Friday night in a region that has seen a surge in violence amid clashes between Muslim Fulani herders and mostly Christian farmers competing for land and resources. Police fired tear gas to break up a protest by thousands of people, witnesses said, as demonstrators called on the state's governor to act swiftly to halt the cycle of violence. 'The protesters were given specific time by the security to make their peaceful protest and disperse,' Tersoo Kula, spokesperson for Benue state's governor, told AFP. John Shiaondo, a local journalist, said he was covering the 'peaceful protest' when the police moved in and started firing tear gas. 'Many people ran away for fear of injuries, and I also left the scene for my safety,' he told AFP. Joseph Hir, who took part in the protest, said people were protesting the killings in Benue when the police intervened. 'We are not abusing anyone, we are also not tampering with anybody's property, we are discharging our rights to peacefully protest the unabated killings of our people, and now the police are shooting tear gas at us,' he told AFP. Benue state governor Hyacinth Alia told a news conference late Sunday that the death toll had reached 59 in Yelewata, though residents said the toll could exceed 100. 'We will move very quickly to set up a five-man panel... to enable us find out who the culprits are, to know who the sponsors are and to identify the victims and to see how justice will be applied,' Alia said. Amnesty International put the death toll at more than 100. The rights group called the attack 'horrifying,' saying it 'shows the security measures (the) government claims to be implementing in the state are not working.' Pope Leo XIV also condemned the killings, in comments during his Sunday prayer in Rome, calling it a 'terrible massacre' in which mostly displaced civilians were murdered with 'extreme cruelty.' He said 'rural Christian communities' in Benue were victims of incessant violence. Authorities typically blame such attacks on Fulani herders but the latter say they are targets of violence and land seizures too. Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said in a statement Sunday night he had 'directed the security agencies to act decisively and arrest perpetrators of these evil acts on all sides of the conflict and prosecute them. 'Political and community leaders in Benue State must act responsibly and avoid inflammatory utterances that could further increase tensions and killings,' he said. Governor Alia said earlier that 'tactical teams had begun arriving from the federal government and security reinforcements are being deployed in vulnerable areas.' 'The state's joint operational units are also being reinforced, and the government will not let up its efforts to defend the lives and property of all residents,' he said. Attacks in the region, part of what is known as the central belt of Nigeria, are often motivated by religious or ethnic differences. Two weeks ago, gunmen killed 25 people in two attacks in Benue state. More than 150 people were killed in massacres across Plateau and Benue states in April.
