*Body Cut Up In Parts
*Fear Grips Residents Of Another Community Over Swelling Herder Population
By Sam Tyav, Makurdi
A fresh wave of sorrow swept through a community in Benue State, North-Central Nigeria, as gunmen believed to be Fulani herdsmen butchered a farmer on his farm.
The dastardly act occurred on Thursday, 15 January, along Ubali/ Gbajor villages, Nzorov council ward of the State.
Sources told People&Politics that the farmer, identified as Terlumun Mpev, and fondly addressed as Alhaji, had received reports that herdsmen were sighted letting their herds of cattle ravage his guinea corn farm.
According to the sources, on receiving the reports, Mpev hurriedly went to the farm with his son, Sooner Mpev.
On spotting the herders and confirming the reports, Mpev reportedly humbly pleaded with them to allow him harvest the crop first.
He was said to have promised them that after harvest, he would leave a massive quantity of the chaff for the cattle and that the herders could thereafter bring in their cows to feed them to their hearts’ content.
People&Politics gathered that his humble and responsible plea rather than strike a chord with the herders, angered them.
Subsequently, the herdsmen reportedly went for their sharp machetes and descended on him with the weapons, butchering him in the process like a cow.
However, his son managed to escape the blood-filled scene and ran to the community where he informed family members.
In an admix of shock, fear and sorrow, they gathered Mpev’s remains, in pieces on the ground, and took them away to where he was instantly buried. By this time, the herders had left the scene.
A source confirmed to People&Politics that the incident struck deep fear into residents of Nzorov community with farmers now scared of going to farms for fear of similar attack and killing by the herders.
Meanwhile, another source has raised the alarm over the influx of persons suspected to be herdsmen in Gbajimba town of the State in the last couple of days, saying there was no clear reason as to why such massive population of herders would arrive in large numbers.
He noted that if left unchecked, the number of herders coming to the town may outnumber the indigenous people of the town.
“Usually, they have a modus operandi. Prior to any deadly attack on communities, Fulani herdsmen often arrived a community in huge numbers. We’re living in fear presently,” the source said.
He appealed to the State Government to intensify efforts to protect the people of the state to enable them continue with their farming activities.
A keen watcher of developments in Gbajimba, Mr. Godwin Agbadu, who spoke to People&Politics, called on security agencies to check the influx of the herders to enable residents sleep with both eyes closed.
*PHOTO CAPTION: The late Mpev.
