Benue Governor Calls for Community Vigilantes to Combat Herders’ Attacks

Benue State Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, has urged communities in the state to establish vigilante groups to assist security agencies in combating the menace of herders’ attacksH.

e made this call during the mass burial of the seventeen “Martyrs of the Anti-Open Grazing Law in Mbaikyor” at Mbaikyor, Mbalom, Gwer East Local Government Area of the state.

The attack on Mbaikyor community by armed herdsmen on Thursday, March 7, 2024, resulted in the death of several individuals, including a retired army officer and a young boy.

Two of the seventeen peasant farmers were buried earlier due to the advanced state of decomposition of their corpses, while the remaining seventeen were buried during the recent ceremony.

Governor Alia expressed sadness and described the mass burial as unacceptable, emphasizing the need for communities to take security into their own hands.

He suggested the formation of a Joint Security Taskforce or vigilante groups, which would be properly profiled and handed over to the government for management, as a solution to the state’s insecurity challenges.

Additionally, Governor Alia pledged to construct a road in the area to facilitate the movement of security agencies during emergencies and proposed the establishment of a police station in the community.

Elias Audu, the member of the Benue House of Assembly representing Gwer East State Constituency, criticized the security agencies for their perceived inaction during the attack, despite the availability of fighter planes.

He called for the reprimand of the relevant security agencies, suggesting that fighter helicopters should have been deployed to intervene in the crisis.

President of the Masev Development Association, Prof. Vitalis Tarhule, emphasized the government’s primary responsibility to protect lives and property, appealing for increased efforts to safeguard the people.