UDEI town, about 25 kilometres north of Makurdi, the Benue State capital, has been completely deserted following intense fighting between Tiv farmers and Fulani herdsmen. Ten persons were feared dead and hundreds displaced.
Despite heavy security presence around the border communities of Benue and Nasarawa States, heavy fighting continued on Thursday night, with fighters on both sides operating in the forests around the area, killing and burning down homes.
Near Udei, armed herdsmen and farmers continued their guerrilla fighting on Thursday evening, making it impossible for the soldiers drafted to the area to track them down. Residents of the area fled to camps in Daudu and to the homes of their relatives in Makurdi to escape the fighting.
The clashes forced the Benue and Nasarawa State governments to set up a high powered joint committee yesterday, to stem the escalating violence in the border areas of the two states.
Inauguration of the committee by Governors Gabriel Suswam of Benue State and Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa which took place at Yelwatta in Nasarawa State, was held amid very tight security mounted by close to 150 soldiers, mobile policemen, regular policemen and agents of the State Security Service (SSS).
Governor Suswam regretted the killing of security personnel by the fighters and urged the joint committee to work hard to achieve lasting peace in the area. He said that the root cause of the crisis was the migration of some Fulani herdsmen who had clashed with Tiv farmers in Benue State, only to relocate to Nasarawa State to instigate violence against Tiv people.
On his part, Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makura urged all affected communities to eschew violence and give peace a chance. He said members of the joint committee were chosen based on their track records, to restore peace in the affected areas.
Meanwhile, former Minority Whip of the Senate, Senator Daniel Saror has regretted the inability of the government and its agencies to bring the crisis under control, describing the failure of the government as disturbing.
He called on the government to engage traditional institutions to resolve the crisis between the Tiv and Fulani.
Despite heavy security presence around the border communities of Benue and Nasarawa States, heavy fighting continued on Thursday night, with fighters on both sides operating in the forests around the area, killing and burning down homes.
Near Udei, armed herdsmen and farmers continued their guerrilla fighting on Thursday evening, making it impossible for the soldiers drafted to the area to track them down. Residents of the area fled to camps in Daudu and to the homes of their relatives in Makurdi to escape the fighting.
The clashes forced the Benue and Nasarawa State governments to set up a high powered joint committee yesterday, to stem the escalating violence in the border areas of the two states.
Inauguration of the committee by Governors Gabriel Suswam of Benue State and Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa which took place at Yelwatta in Nasarawa State, was held amid very tight security mounted by close to 150 soldiers, mobile policemen, regular policemen and agents of the State Security Service (SSS).
Governor Suswam regretted the killing of security personnel by the fighters and urged the joint committee to work hard to achieve lasting peace in the area. He said that the root cause of the crisis was the migration of some Fulani herdsmen who had clashed with Tiv farmers in Benue State, only to relocate to Nasarawa State to instigate violence against Tiv people.
On his part, Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makura urged all affected communities to eschew violence and give peace a chance. He said members of the joint committee were chosen based on their track records, to restore peace in the affected areas.
Meanwhile, former Minority Whip of the Senate, Senator Daniel Saror has regretted the inability of the government and its agencies to bring the crisis under control, describing the failure of the government as disturbing.
He called on the government to engage traditional institutions to resolve the crisis between the Tiv and Fulani.
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