Suspected Fulani herdsmen kill at least 23 in Benue

Suspected Fulani herdsmen killed at least 23 people
in central Nigeria, the latest clash in a long-
running battle with farming communities in the
restive region, police said Tuesday.  “There was an
attack by unknown gunmen suspected to be Fulani
herdsmen on three villages in Logo local government
area, (Benue) state,” said police spokesman Austin
Ezeani, referring to Saturday’s violence.

“As at yesterday, 23 people were (confirmed)

killed,” he told pressmen. Benue is part of

Nigeria’s so-called Middle Belt, where the mainly

Christian south meets the predominately Muslim

north. The Fulani, who are mostly Muslim, have

been blamed for waves of attacks on largely

Christian agrarian groups, with tensions high over

access to land and other basic rights.

Fulani groups have accused farmers in Benue of

stealing their cattle. Ezeani said the motive for

the latest attack had not yet been established and

that officers had been deployed to the targeted

villages. “The people are still living under fear and

panic but we have assured them of adequate

security,” the spokesmen said.

Though often portrayed as the aggressors in

central Nigeria’s sectarian strife, the Fulani

receive inferior treatment under the law in Benue

and neighbouring Plateau state. They are not

considered indigenous to the area, meaning they

have reduced access to land, education and political

office, with most key positions held by members of

Christian ethnic groups.

The Fulani are repeatedly accused of encroaching

on farmland that belongs to so-called indigenous

people but some Fulani have lived in central Nigeria

for decades, or longer. The fighting has typically

been cyclical, with one incident capable of sparking

a series of reprisals. Ezeani said ethnic Tiv

farmers in Benue had accused herdsmen of

“destroying their farmlands and raping their

women”. He did not say if there was any evidence

to support such accusations.