Magagi Mike Alidu, the President of Ochetoha K’Idoma Youth Wing Worldwide, has shared his concerns about the ongoing crisis in Benue State. He said the killings and suffering of displaced people are not just random acts of violence.

According to him, there seems to be a plan to push people off their land. He explained that Fulani herdsmen are attacking communities to make residents run away so they can take over the land. They believe the land in Benue is rich and good for feeding their cows.

He also spoke about the recent visit of the Chief of Army Staff to Benue. Alidu said the visit did not bring any solution. In fact, things got worse. Just after the army chief left, over 200 people were killed in Guma Local Government Area. He said the attacks became more aggressive, and women, children, and elderly people were killed in large numbers.

However, Alidu said that the visit of President Bola Tinubu gave the people some hope. The president asked why no one had been arrested over the killings. After his visit, arrests were made in Nasarawa State, and those arrested were linked to the Benue attacks. Alidu believes this is a positive sign and hopes the situation will improve.

On the claim that the attackers are foreign fighters, Alidu disagreed with Governor Hyacinth Alia, who made that statement. Alidu said clearly that the killings are being carried out by Fulani herdsmen, and they are bringing in others to help them. He called them terrorists who are involved in killing, kidnapping, rape, and burning down homes.

He also said the recent killings were not caused by the warnings given by traditional rulers asking herders to leave. According to him, the problem is that the anti-open grazing law is no longer fully enforced.

He believes that if the law had been followed strictly, the killings would have reduced. Because the law is relaxed, the attackers feel bold enough to continue their violence, especially now that it is farming season and people need to return to their land.

Alidu also talked about the suffering of displaced people in Benue. He said there is no real help from either the federal or state government. In his home area of Agatu, there are no IDP camps, and people who lost their homes have not received any support. Houses are not being rebuilt, and no help has been given to people dealing with trauma. He said people are left to suffer on their own, and life is very hard and expensive for them.

He added that even when relief food was sent to some camps, areas like Agatu, Apa, and Otukpo were left out. He believes the help is being shared unfairly, and that politics is affecting who gets support. According to him, people in the Idoma-speaking areas of Benue are being ignored by the state government.

Alidu’s words show that the people of Benue, especially those who have been forced to leave their homes, are in great need. He called on both the federal and state governments to take real steps to end the killings and give proper support to the victims.