- Says Ado must rise in self-defence as “we are not cowards”
Chairman of Ado Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State on Monday said that “no fewer than 30 Igbo speaking indigenes” of his Local Government were killed when “Fulani herdsmen and their mercenaries” attacked Ndigwe, Ataloga, Odokem, Ekile, Nduobasi, Ekpufu, Obakota and other nearby villages.
The chairman said that apart from the over 30 killed, the destruction of houses and property has left the Local Government with “nearly 5,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
An obviously angry Chief Oche said that “the people of Ado must rise up to the occasion in self defence. In whatever way possible, our people must be empowered to defend themselves. Enough of the killings, we are not cowards.”
He noted that the killings and destruction would have been more but for the intervention and “concerted efforts of the Operation Whirlstroke after we informed them, to repel the attacks.”
Chief Oche had earlier on Sunday night put the number of people killed at 12, saying the attacked were coordinated, alleging that it was a reprisal by herders after some persons believed to be members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) crossed over from Ebonyi State to his Ado Local Government in Benue State to kill one elderly Fulani man identified as Muhammad Isah.
But later on Monday, Oche said in a statement posted on Facebook and dated 31/05/2021:
“Yesterday (Sunday), no fewer than 30 Igbo speaking indigenes of Ado Local Government lost their lives to attacks by Fulani herdsmen and their mercenaries on Ndigwe, Ataloga, Odokem, Ekile, Nduobasi, Ekpufu, Obakota and other nearby villages.
“We have a situation of nearly 5,000 internally displaced persons in addition to the destruction occasioned by the assailants. It took the concerted efforts of the Operation Whirlstroke after we informed them, to repel the attacks.
“The era of lip service and arms folding is over. The people of Ado must rise up to the occasion in self defence. In whatever way possible, our people must be empowered to defend themselves. Enough of the killings, we are not cowards.”
