Insecurity: Lawmaker solicits more FG presence in Benue 

A member representing Kwande/Ushongu Federal Constituency of Benue state in the House of Representatives, Hon. Terseer Ugbor, has demanded more federal government presence in the state to curb recurring attacks and killings of his constituents by Fulani herdsmen.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja, Tuesday, Ugbor said a lot of lands have been taken over by bandits in Benue because there are open spaces without government presence.

He said: “As you may be aware, just recently, during the 2024 Christmas season, we had an attack by Fulani herdsmen in Kwande local government, which is a border community with Cameroon and this attack took place in December 25^th, through to the New Year. It got so bad that the bandits had the audacity to attack an immigration outpost and burnt down the outpost, which was the only standing security presence  we had in the community that is border to Cameroon.

“This immigration outpost did not necessarily have equipment or arms to defend itself. It was more of an intelligence gathering outpost,  but at least, it provided a semblance of a security presence in the place. In the course of that attack, the bandits took a detour which took them into the Cameroonian territory and the Cameroonian gendarmes attacked them and killed so many of them. This thing became headline news in Cameroon where they mentioned that the Nigerian Fulani bandits are killing and attacking the Cameroon military.

“So, this is something that has a very important international dimension that could become crisis beyond our control and understanding if we don’t take care.

“Just yesterday (Monday), there was another killing that took place by the same Fulani bandits, suspected to be based and camped around the Kachimbila area. From the last count, we heard that about 13 persons have been killed and their bodies have been recovered.”