The Security Adviser to the Benue State Governor, Col. Paul Hemba has confirmed the killing of three persons by suspected herders in Benue Community.
It was gathered that the some suspected Fulani herdsmen invaded Adaka, a Markurdi suburb on Friday, December 16, killing three people on the farm.
Confirming the attack and killing on Sunday, Col. Paul Hemba said, the police has commenced investigation into the incident.
“When I was informed of the development it was in the night (of Friday) so we waited till Saturday morning, and sent out patrols including members of the community and in the course of the patrol, we discovered the corpses of the missing three persons brutally killed obviously with a machete,” he said.
“And the community is suspecting that Fulani herdsmen murdered the victims. This is because the herdsmen have been operating in their vicinity.
“Additionally just last week, the Fulani herdsmen alleged that some of their cows which invaded the people’s rice farms were killed in that community.
” The Commissioner of Police is investigating the incident.
“The community is suspecting that the gruesome murder of the three was a reprisal.
“The people said they killed the cattle because they invaded their rice farm.
“And most times these farms are cultivated with loans which must be paid back after harvest.”
He further said, “From the pictures we have you can see that the animals that were killed were grazing freely on a large rice farm.
“And probably the owner of the farm, out of anger and frustration attacked and killed the cows.
“You can even see pieces of evidence, the cows died on the rice they were destroying and eating.
“They killed the cattle and left them in the farms they destroy. It must be out of anger and frustration.
” These are some of the terrible things farmers have been noticing, herders will push their cows into people’s yam, cassava and rice farms and watch them destroy and graze on them after which they would walk away.
“It’s so painful that you will tend to your farm today and when you get there the next day it is all eaten up by cows. So it is suspected that out of frustration somebody who saw this happening to his rice farm did that to the animals.”
The Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO) of the State Police Command, Catherine Anene confirmed the killing.
“The attack and killing at Adaka is confirmed I will give you more details when I get it.” she said
