By Mike Odeh James
AGATU
– A community-based group, the Agatu for Peace and Development Initiative (APDI), has raised the alarm over escalating insecurity in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, which they say is crippling local commerce, especially agriculture and trade.
Speaking in a public appeal addressed to both the Benue State and Federal Governments, the group decried the devastating impact of Fulani terrorist attacks on farming communities, particularly those situated along the riverine and fertile fadama areas stretching from Abugbe to Oweto. The forum said these once-productive farmlands have now become danger zones, abandoned due to frequent invasions by armed herders.
“The fertile lands along the Abugbe-Oweto axis used to be our pride, feeding thousands and supporting the local economy,” said Mr. Jeremiah Alhassan, National President of APDI. “But now, our people cannot access the area due to the threat of violent attacks. The Fulani herders have taken over these lands, turning them into battlefields.”
The APDI pointed to a sharp decline in agricultural output and transport activity in the region, particularly in Ogbaulu Ward — a key yam-producing area in Agatu. According to them, Ogbaulu used to supply between seven to ten trucks of yam daily to markets in eastern Nigeria. However, due to persistent insecurity, the number has dwindled drastically to just one or two trucks per day.
“This means a significant drop in internally generated revenue not just for Agatu, but for the entire Benue State,” Alhassan explained. “Farmers are afraid to go to their fields. Traders can’t move goods. Everyone is suffering — from the farmer to the market woman to the truck driver.”
Agatu has long been one of the hardest-hit communities in Benue’s prolonged battle with violent herders. Over the years, dozens of villages have been attacked and hundreds killed or displaced in what community leaders describe as a slow and deliberate occupation of indigenous lands by armed herders. The situation has worsened since early 2024, with increased reports of raids, destruction of crops, and targeted killings.
While calling for more robust intervention, the group also commended the current Chairman of Agatu Local Government Area, Hon. Melvin Ejeh, for his ongoing efforts to restore peace and order. “We acknowledge the steps taken by the chairman in bringing some level of sanity and calm to Agatu land,” Alhassan said. “But more needs to be done. The efforts must be sustained and intensified if we are to reclaim our farms and restore full economic activity.”
The Agatu for Peace and Development Initiative warned that unless urgent security interventions are made, more communities would be displaced and hunger will deepen in an already vulnerable region.
“We are appealing to Governor Hyacinth Alia and President Bola Tinubu to urgently deploy security forces to Agatu,” Alhassan said. “We need military presence in these vulnerable zones, especially along the fadama areas. If we lose access to our lands, we lose our livelihood, our culture, and our future.”
The group also called for rehabilitation programs for displaced farmers and a coordinated plan to reopen local markets and restore economic activities. They emphasized that peace and security are the foundation for any meaningful development in the area.
“Our youth are willing to work. Our women are ready to farm. All we ask is protection — the basic right to live and farm in peace on our ancestral land,” the group concluded.
Agatu, known for its rich agricultural produce, has been a major contributor to Benue State’s reputation as the “Food Basket of the Nation.” But with the current spate of attacks and the lack of security, that reputation is under serious threat.
