The Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA) Monday said no fewer than 5,138 persons have been killed by suspected herders since 2015.
SEMA also lamented the increase in attacks and influx of herdsmen and cattle into the state in the past two and a half weeks which has resulted to displacement of over 3,000 persons.
Briefing newsmen at the SEMA headquarters in Makurdi, the Executive Secretary, Dr Emmanuel Shior, expressed worry that despite the magnitude of the attacks on the state, the federal government in control of the security apparatus has done little to end the attack.
He lamented the humanitarian situation in the state saying that the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have remained in a deplorable situation in the past five years.
He said the killings pre-dates the Ortom administration, with attempt on the life of the former governor of the state, Gabriel Suswam.
The BSEMA boss asked politicians to desist from making inflammatory statements to achieve political goal.
He challenged the APC governorship candidate to be passionate about the IDPs and stop using the IDPs to score a cheap political point.
He said the comment by the APC gubernatorial candidate that BSEMA has been mismanaging funds meant for the IDPs was most uncharitable adding that he should not wait till election is over before coming to see the plight IDPs and possibly dole out items that will assist to better their lives.
“Suswam was a victim of the attack when he visited Guma during his administration as governor of the state.
“From our records, death recorded from the various 18 affected local government areas out of the 23 in the state has risen to 5,138 persons since 2015.”
