The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has said the Nigerian Army will adjust troops’ deployment in Agatu Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State to effectively tackle the crisis between the farmers and Fulani herdsmen.
Buratai stated this yesterday after meeting with some Army officials at the Agatu crisis Operational and tactical command centre near Otukpo in Benue State.
The Army chief who made findings about the level of security and troops’ deployment to maintain security in the area, also expressed displeasure at the loss of lives occasioned by the attacks.
He said the Operational Commander
informed him about the existence of criminal elements engaged in cattle
rustling, and promised that the security agencies will deal with the
situations.
“The crises here are really unfortunate. The farmers and herdsmen fighting is really unfortunate. We have also heard from the commander of the existence of criminal elements who engage in cattle rustling,” he said.
“The crises here are really unfortunate. The farmers and herdsmen fighting is really unfortunate. We have also heard from the commander of the existence of criminal elements who engage in cattle rustling,” he said.
Speaking further, the CoAS said the Army
would vary its troop’s deployment on ground, which would be
specifically targeted at dealing with the areas of flashpoint.
He said: “We are putting measure to
prevent it, we are trying to ensure that these crisis does not arise
again. We have observed the deployment of the troops on ground. We are
also adjusting our troops’ deployment to take care of areas of
flashpoints and the likely areas where these criminals are hiding.”
Buratai promised to provide the required
logistics and welfare for the Nigerian Army to carry out their
constitutional mandate of maintaining peace and security in the state.
He however noted that the troops would be co-operating with other
security agencies, in order to restore peace back to Agatu people.
“We are also taking care of their
logistics and other aspects of their welfare. We are also co-operating
with other security agencies to maintain order and security in the
area,” he said.
The clash in Agatu late last month,
which was the latest in serious of deadly attacks, were reported to had
claimed 300 people including children and pregnant women, killed by the
Fulani herdsmen, while 7,000 others were said to have been displaced.
The battle between the Fulanis and the
Agatus was said to have started after 10,000 heads of cattle belonging
to the Fulanis were reportedly killed.
Meanwhile, a group, the Initiative for North Central Development (INCD)
has condemned the recent attack on the Agatu community in Benue state
calling on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to urgently
deploy relief material to the victims living in squatter camps around
the community.
President of the group, Prince Mark
Elayo in a statement said the federal authorities have a duty to
complement the efforts of the state and local governments by catering
for the welfare of the displaced victims in the community. Elayo also
condemned the inability of the Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom to
visit Agatu more than two weeks after the town was raided by alleged
Fulani herdsmen, saying that this is insensitive to the plight of the
people.
He commended the military for deploying
to the area quickly, urging them to clear the area of the invading
herdsmen to enable residents of the community to return ahead of
preparation for the 2016 farming season.
Elayo also urged the federal government
to go beyond the military action by instituting an investigation into
the incident to find out why the clashes have become perennial.
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