Nigeria’s primary news is still dominated by the contentious presidential election on February 25. Nonetheless, there has been little coverage of recent terrorist attacks in the largely Catholic state of Benue in north-central Nigeria. After the election, Fulani militants have carried out violent attacks in six counties in the Middle Belt state, according to Mike Uba, the county chairman of Guma, which is close to the capital city of Makurdi. Both the state’s northern and southern borders contain the affected counties.
At least 20 people were killed in one of the most recent attacks on March 7 in the village of Tse Jor, after about 40 attackers riding motorbikes brandished machetes and slashed helpless men, women, and children for at least two hours, according to Helen Tikyaa, an aid worker employed by the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi. During the attack she drove to the village, but dared not enter until the assassins had left. According to Tikyaa, women and children continue to enter the IDP camps in Naka, 20 kilometers west of Makurdi, coming from Tse Jor and the adjacent villages.
This is the first time the community is seeing such violence.
In order to avoid alerting the military, which has a base about seven miles south of Tse Jor, the assassins most likely refrained from firing guns during this raid, according to Paul Hemba, the governor of Benue’s security adviser, who spoke to CNA. Knowing they would encounter little resistance, the terrorists prepared this attack, the official claimed. Everyone was surprised by this incident in a far-off rural place. Due to the poor roads and the fact that few villagers had telephones, the attackers understood that it would take the military at least an hour to reach the attack site.
The attack on the Tse Jor hamlet took both residents and the authorities off guard, according to Father Remigius Ihyula, a priest providing relief in Makurdi. The attackers arrived without prior notice, and it was the first time the neighborhood had experienced such violence since the killings began in 2001. Father Ihyula said in a text message, “the motivation might be nothing less than terrorism, the intent to cause suffering and scatter communities in order to seize the desolate places.” Due to terrorist operations that have depopulated broad areas and prevented hundreds of thousands of small farmers from accessing their four-acre fields, more than 1 million people in Benue are battling to subsist in improvised camps, according to Father Ihyula.
UNHCR has been offering shelters and protection support to the victims.
According to Father William Shom, the pastor of a church in Yelewata, Guma County, the attacks persisted on March 7, 62 miles to the east of Tse Jor. One evening, a big group of Fulani militants attacked Yelewata, killing seven people in the process. 27 homes were also burnt by the terrorists, according to Father Shom in a text message to CNA. According to reports from the Foundation for Justice Development and Peace, the town of Naka, which has a population of 3,000, is home to a sizable IDP camp with 5,000 individuals, most of them are women and children who are suffering from trauma and starvation.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Red Cross [and] MSF [Doctors Without Borders] have all been very active in providing different types of assistance, said Father Ihyura. “UNHCR in particular has been very supportive, providing temporary shelter and protection-related assistance to victims. The Benue state government has done its best under the circumstances, but the federal government has ignored the suffering of the people,” he said. From the perspective of the Justice and Peace Foundation and the Makurdi Catholic Diocese, our challenge to effective intervention strategies has been mainly the constant attacks and displacements in some areas, he added. It was overwhelming to deal with this situation.
The villages came under attack following the presidential election.
According to media reports, on Benue’s southern border with Cameroon, between 26 February and 2 March, 50 people were attacked by Muslim Fulani terrorists in the remote mountainous area of Kwande county. More than one Catholic parishioner died. After the February 25 presidential elections, the villages came under attack as it was confirmed that All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu had won.
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The attacks on Catholic churches is sorrowful – There has been different attacks in Catholic Churches after the election. – Express your point of view.
The fact that fulani militants still operates hitch free shows the low level at which Nigeria security is. This is a deep pity.
When will the senseless killings come to an end in Nigeria. The military seems to be helpless to these terrorist incessant attacks. The federal, state and local government in partnership with the military and traditional rulers should team up to create a formidable force that will quash these menace and totally put an end to it.
See people being murdered mercilessly as if they are animal. Ohh God of mercy help us in this country.
What exactly are the Nigerian army doing when our people are being massacred like this. The Fulani militant should also been killed to justly there bad deeds.
This insecurity issue continue to exacerbate as many life’s are being wasted. I just hope the incoming administration find a solution to it.
Attacks on catholic churches is becoming a recurring event. It’s unfortunate how many people have died and lost their families due to these horrible attacks. The government need to be more responsible regarding securing citizens
Damn it, it is very easy for all these villages to get attacked and that is very sad because they are not really connected to the town because of their location.
Wow so now we know that because of terrorist actions, large areas have been depopulated, and many small farmers have been forced to abandon their land.
It is a shameful to the federal government that saddle with responsibility of protecting human life and property but fail to do her primary objective of any government that has her people in mind.This bad occurrence has been continue without any action.
It’s tragic that so many lives and loved ones have been lost because of these atrocities. Authorities need to take greater responsibility for the safety of their constituents.
This is a sad nice attack on catholic church after the election people need to be protected in the country the way people are just getting kill anyhow is unfair we should put end to it
many life’s we’re wasted anyhow the kind of attack as been happen that attacker will should attack any where and start killing people solution should found and stop all this ridiculous act
It seems that the target is now catholic churches. The shedding of blood by these dreadful groups is now at the picture. Government need to find solution to this.
People are suffering yet loosing their lives. The gov’t have to check, address and proffer lasting solutions to the issue of insecurity. My condolences to those that lost their lives.
How many more people have to lose their lives before the security of the people is taken more seriously. Security agencies should be more responsible
It’s unfortunate that government aid is needed since terrorist attacks have depopulated large areas and blocked many small farmers from reaching their property.
This unfortunate situation has been going for awhile with no intervention, and that must cease as soon as possible; the government ought to offer better security for individuals living in rural areas.
The continuous attack on Catholic churches could be political. It is not right to kill people who have the right to worship who ever they choose to worship. Government should put an end to the act of terrorism in the Land.
The attack on catholic churches should be stopped. It is becoming too much. Lives of innocent people are being shed and it’s needs to be stopped as soon as possible.
Nigeria is a country where government has failed their responsibilities. Country where government entertain evil act without them doing the right things. The issues of tourism and fulani killings is
long over due