Anebi
The Middle Belt Forum, MBF, has expressed heartfelt sympathy over the devastating floods” that recently ravaged Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State and environs.
The communities affected by the flood, according to the Middle Belt Forum are Muwo, Katcha, Jebba-Mokwa Road settlements, and parts of Rabba were the worst hit, resulting in the loss of no fewer than 150 lives and the displacement of hundreds of homes, farmlands, and livelihoods have been swept away by the deluge, leaving entire families in anguish and uncertainty.
A statement issued by its spokesman, Luka Binniyat on Monday and made available to the DAILY POST said, “We stand in solidarity with all those affected and urge both state and federal emergency services to respond swiftly with aid, shelter, and rehabilitation support.”
The statement also strongly condemned the continued bloodletting and acts of terror being inflicted on the innocent people of Plateau State, especially in Mushere Chiefdom in Bokkos LGA, as well as Riyom and Bassa LGAs, saying that in the past week alone, at least 18 persons have been brutally murdered in renewed attacks.
“The communities of Maiyanga, Butura, Hurum, and Gana-Ropp have suffered deadly ambushes and night raids by armed Fulani militias. Tiv and Idoma lands in Benue state have had no reprieve from the atrocities of these armed Fulani Herdsmen, some clearly identified by surviving victims,” Binniyat lamented.
According to him, “This carnage is unacceptable, and the silence and lukewarmness from the authorities against these mass murderers only emboldens the perpetrators.”
The Middle Belt Forum, in the same vein said it is appalled by the recent killings in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State, noting that armed groups invaded the communities of Munga Lalau and Munga Doso killing no fewer than 50 residents and razing homes.
The statement observed, “These attacks are part of a disturbing pattern of terror being spread across the Middle Belt with clear intentions.
“It is no longer in doubt that the Middle Belt region is under siege in what can only be described as a well-orchestrated and coordinated campaign of terror by armed Fulani herdsmen, often better armed than state security forces.
“This is not a herders/farmers clash. Neither is it a fallout of climate change or a competition for resources. It is organized ethno-religious cleansing and land occupation masquerading as communal conflict.”
The forum rejected any narrative that seeks to justify or downplay “this genocide”, saying that in Niger State, over 40 communities across Shiroro, Munya, and Rafi LGAs are now under the control of these armed militias, and in Southern Kaduna, more than 60 communities in Zangon Kataf, Kaura, Kauru, Chikun and Kajuru LGAs have been sacked, with thousands displaced.
“In Southern Kebbi, especially in Danko-Wasagu and Fakai LGAs, at least 12 villages have been overrun in recent months. In Benue state: Information reaching the MBF 15 Council wards in Gwer West LGA 15 council wards have been displaced and taken over by the herdsmen.
He added that in Guma LGA, several communities in 6 council wards have been taken over, explaining that it is not different from Gwer East LGA where Mbalom council ward has experienced displacement, with residents fleeing to safer areas as well as
Kwande and Markudi LGA.
According to the Benue State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, he said over 50 communities across 25 council wards in these 5 local government areas have been displaced by armed herdsmen, saying that the attacks are not random but are systematic, strategic, and aimed at displacing indigenous populations and occupying ancestral lands.
“The so-called grazing conflicts have transformed into territorial conquests. The perpetrators are not prosecuted even when survivors claim that they know them,” he alleged.
The forum called on the Federal Government to urgently rise to its constitutional responsibility of securing lives and property by ensuring immediate recruitment, training, and deployment of forest guards and local civilian volunteers who understand the terrain and can support the overstretched military and security agencies.
The spokesman stated that the Federal Government must stop shielding criminals with false narratives, saying that what Nigerians are witnessing is not a consequence of desertification or economic hardship; but a targeted violence driven by ideology, impunity, and a quest for domination.
According to him, “The Middle Belt has paid too much in blood and tears. Our people, known for their hospitality and resilience, are now facing extermination in silence. We demand justice. We demand protection. We must not be pushed to seek for untowards ways to defend our lives, lands and dignity.”
Middle Belt Forum condoles Niger flood victims, condemns renewed massacres across region
