- Orders armed herders out of council
The Chairman of Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, James Ejeh, on Friday, raised the alarm alleges influx of bandits from Sokoto into the counci.
Eje,h who decried the invasion of the remnants of Sokoto bandits into the LG, also ordered armed herders to vacate Agatu land with immediate effect, adding that no portion of the Agatu land belongs to herders under any guise.
The order was conveyed through a statement issued in Makurdi on Friday.
The chairman said that some communities in the area are already experiencing a renewed wave of violent attacks.
He said: “The council is presently experiencing a renewed wave of violent attacks allegedly perpetrated by armed herders, which we firmly believe is a fallout of recent military airstrikes in the Sokoko axis.
The US military, on Christmas Day 2025, launched deadly airstrike on ISWAP believed to have camped in Sokoto forest.
Ejeh further said in the statement: “These armed elements, fleeing from neighbouring areas, have reportedly infiltrated Agatu communities and unleashed unprecedented terror on innocent and defenceless residents.
“These attacks have resulted in the brutal killing of our people, widespread injuries, reported cases of rape, the destruction of homes and farmlands, and the displacement of hundreds of residents who are now living in fear and uncertainty.
“This situation represents a grave humanitarian and security crisis that demands immediate attention.
While describing the attacks as ‘barbaric acts,’ Ejeh decried the continued bloodshed in Agatu land, saying: “Our people are being hunted on their ancestral land without provocation, and this cannot be allowed to continue.
Following the invasion, the chairman announced the immediate revocation of the 2017 agreement that granted herdsmen access to Adepati Island for grazing.
“That agreement, entered into by the then administration of Agatu Local Government Council, was never carried out in good faith. It was done under the guise of promoting peaceful coexistence, but at the expense of the Agatu people.
“The negative consequences of that action have been enormous. Consequently, I hereby declare the agreement null and void and of no effect whatsoever.
“Agatu is an agrarian society, and our farmlands must be protected to guarantee food security and the livelihoods of our people,” Ejeh said.
The Chairman called on the Federal government and all relevant security agencies to urgently deploy a reinforced military and police presence in Agatu LGA, stating that the current security arrangement is grossly inadequate to stem the tide of these attacks.
While commending the State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, for his consistent efforts and commitment to restoring peace and security across the state, Ejeh said that the people of Agatu appreciated the governor’s interventions and urged him to remain focus and not allow the activities of retrogressive elements to distract him from his peace-building agenda.
Ejeh also commended the Commander and troops of Operation Whirl Stroke, the Commissioner of Police, the State Director of DSS, the Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and other security agencies for the massive kinetic operations deployed across the general area to rid the council and its environs of crime and criminality.
“The overwhelming influx of armed herders into Agatu land necessitates a passionate appeal to the Armed Forces of Nigeria to not only increase troop deployment but also provide the required workforce to flush out these ragtag elements from our council area,” Ejeh declared in the statement.