Na wah o! This one no be small matter! For Udeku Maav-Ya community wey dey for Kwande Local Government Area for Benue State, five farmers don kolo for Tuesday evening as suspected armed herders land their area gatt with gun. Dis attack happen around 4 pm, when the farmers dey gather their yams and bambara nuts. Chai! E sweet to work and harvest food, but e no sweet when wahala come join.
One of the people wey dey there, Terna, no go fit hide him own shock. Him talk say as the shooting start, everyone dey run scatter like say dem dey play football and person wan score goal for their side. People dey fear, crops dey destroy, and the whole community just dey panic! E no go better for dem.
The chairman of kwande Local Government, Tersua Yarkwan, don confirm say five persons don waka go the great beyond. E come dey tell us say the attackers no gree go immediately after dem do the bad thing, making matter thick for the area. Dis man sabi talk as e dey tell us say the community dey vulnerable because e dey near Cameroon border. You sabi wetin dat mean? E mean say security no dey strong like dat. Ah ah!
Yarkwan dey vex as e talk say the attack during harvest season na serious wahala for food security. Na im security dey! Because the way dem dey attack farmers wey just wan chop belle full, na wetin dey make fear dey catch people dem.
A former councilor, Akerigba Lawrence, don also talk say the community don suffer long wahala. Dem dey face constant attacks wey dey scatter homes, crops, and even the trees wey dey give dem economy boost. Na madness be this! He still mention three names from the dead: Tyozua Gyuse, Gbaga Gyuse, and Tersuur Ijighka. The rest two names still dey hide, people dey find dem.
As dem dey search for people wey miss, dem don close down schools, churches, and markets. E clear say this violence dey affect everybody. This community don dey ask: when dem go fit dey farm and chop without fear? Na the question wey plenty people dey ask as dis matter dey drag on.
As for the police, dem no fit respond quick quick. Calls to DSP Udeme Edet no connect. E be like sey dem dey busy with other matters. But this latest killings join plenty others wey don happen before for Benue, especially for rural areas. E don turn like say armed herders dey program dem for attack during planting and harvest season. Na wetin we go fit do wey fit help? Dis one go require plenty discussions and solution from government and security.
Security agencies dey try anyhow, with troops of Operation Whirl Stroke dey do work around Benue try to stop these wahala. But the matter be like wetin dey tire em. Families dey fear for dem life, for dem farmland, and even for dem food supplies. How far we go fit go without proper safety? Dat one na gist wey concern everybody!
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