Food scarcity looming in Benue as Farmers Denied Access to Homes, Farms Kayode Sanni-Arewa 2 months ago Categories: News Leave a Comment Exit mobile version
%20(%2466)%20to%20allow%20us%20to%20return%20home%20and%20farm.%20For%20example,%20farmers%20in%20Gidan-Pepa%20contributed%20N40,00%20(%2427),%20Achukpa%20contributed%20N30,000%20(%2419),%20and%20Ibete%20also%20paid%20N30,000%20(%2419)%20to%20meet%20the%20demand.%20We%20paid%20the%20Jihadist%20representatives,%20Geri%20and%20Nura,%20sent%20from%20Rukubi%20Precinct%20in%20Nasarawa%20State.%0A%0AOdeh%20Obeya,%20a%20rice%20farmer%20in%20Agatu%20County,%20gave%20his%20tally%20of%20extortions:%20%E2%80%9CBefore%20the%20rains,%20they%20threatened%20to%20kill%20anyone%20who%20returned%20to%20previously%20attacked%20villages.%20They%20warned%20us%20against%20farming%20until%20we%20reached%20an%20agreement.%20They%20demanded%20N100,000%20(%2466)%20from%20Ikpele%20and%20surrounding%20villages%20before%20we%20could%20return%20to%20our%20farms%20and%20settlements.%20With%20eight%20villages,%20that%E2%80%99s%20N800,000,%20(%24528).%0A%0A%E2%80%9CSince%20many%20farmers%20and%20villagers%20can%E2%80%99t%20pay,%20we%20won%E2%80%99t%20farm%20this%20year,%20leading%20to%20famine%20in%20Benue%20and%20Nigeria,%E2%80%9D%20he%20said.%0A%0A%E2%80%9CWhat%E2%80%99s%20happening%20in%20Agatu%20is%20Fulani%20ethnic%20militia%20land-grabbing.%20They%E2%80%99ve%20sacked%20communities%20and%20continue%20attacking%20villages.%E2%80%9D%0A%0A%20Mr%20Ojotu%20Ojema,%20the%20lawmaker%20representing%20Apa/Agatu%20Federal%20Constituency%20at%20the%20National%20Assembly%20in%20Abuja,%20in%20an%20exclusive%20interview%20with%20Truthnigeria.%0A%0A%E2%80%9CThey%20know%20that%20by%20attacking,%20villagers%20will%20flee,%20and%20terrorists%20will%20settle%20in%20their%20lands,%E2%80%9D%20Ojema%20added.%20%E2%80%9CApart%20from%20deaths%20and%20destruction,%20the%20atrocities%20will%20cause%20hunger%20as%20rural%20farmers%20are%20displaced%20and%20can%E2%80%99t%20access%20their%20farms,%E2%80%9D%20Ojema%20added.%0A%0AThe%20lawmaker%20also%20conceded%20that%20the%20Nigerian%20military%20is%20standing%20down%20from%20engaging%20the%20attackers.%20%E2%80%9CWe%20have%20Nigerian%20Army%20personnel%20in%20Agatu,%20but%20that%20doesn%E2%80%99t%20stop%20the%20terrorists.%20The%20Army%20prioritizes%20what%20they%20call%20peacekeeping%20over%20confronting%20the%20Fulanis,%20who%20are%20terrorising%20our%20people,%E2%80%9D%20Ojema%20went%20on%20to%20say.%20%E2%80%9CThe%20Nigerian%20Miltary%20views%20the%20killings%20as%20communal%20clashes%20between%20Fulanis%20and%20Agatus,%E2%80%9D%20he%20said.%0A%0A%E2%80%9CAccording%20to%20the%20Army,%20the%20Fulanis%20are%20seen%20as%20indigenous%20to%20Agatu,%20and%20so%20what%20is%20happening%20is%20a%20communal%20clash;%20however,%20I%20can%20tell%20you%20authoritatively,%20we%20don%E2%80%99t%20have%20indigenous%20Fulanis%20in%20Agatu%20or%20the%20State%20of%20Benue,%E2%80%9D%20Ojema%20further%20explained.%0A%0A%E2%80%9CThese%20are%20foreign%20terrorists%20bent%20on%20taking%20over%20our%20lands.%20It%20is%20purely%20the%20same%20thing%20that%20is%20happening%20in%20Jos,%20Plateau%20State,%20that%20is%20happening%20here,%E2%80%9D%20Ojema%20said.%0A</p></img>%0A%0A%09</div>%0A%0A%09<footer%20class=)