Mike Odeh James
The Agatu Peace and Development Initiative (APDI) has sounded a dire warning about what it calls a deliberate and escalating campaign of terror by suspected Fulani militia in the Agatu region of Benue State. In a statement issued following the May 30th ambush along the Oweto-Apa-Adoka-Otukpo road, the organization described the situation as a “ticking time bomb”—a slow-burning crisis that has been ignored for far too long.
According to Jeremiah Alhassan, National President of APDI, the attack, which left multiple commuters dead and many kidnapped, is only one example in a wider pattern of targeted assaults, destruction of farmlands, rape, and the erasure of livelihoods across the Agatu landscape.
“What is happening in Agatu is not random—it is systematic,” Alhassan said. “This is an organized invasion of our lands by armed herders who are determined to destroy farming life and displace entire communities.”
15 Farms in 15 Days: A Coordinated Campaign
Between May 15 and May 30, APDI documented the destruction of over 15 farmlands in Ogbaulu community alone, where herders allegedly invaded with cattle, razed crops, and threatened the lives of defenseless farmers.
The list of victims is growing:
Edoh Ade, whose yam farm (400×4 ridges) saw over 1,600 seed yams destroyed
Daniel Ehoda, James Ada, and Ochefije Adah – all lost entire yam fields
Yaya Belo, whose rice farm was completely overrun
The violence extended beyond crops. Three women were attacked while working on their farms, with their mobile phones forcibly taken—an act APDI says is aimed at cutting off victims from help and silencing evidence.
Call to the Agatu Local Government: ‘Act or Resign’
Alhassan issued a strong message to Hon. Melvin James Ejeh, Chairman of Agatu Local Government, demanding proactive and visible action in the face of rising violence.
“We are seeing an alarming increase in rapes, handset theft, and kidnappings. Yet, not a single strong response from the local government. If the chairman cannot act to protect Agatu people, then he should step aside for someone who can,” Alhassan declared.
The group also condemned the perceived failure of Benue’s security architecture, pointing out that the 2017 Anti-Open Grazing Law—designed to prevent herders from illegally encroaching on farmland—remains largely unenforced.
From Peacebuilding to Survival: APDI’s Urgent Demands
Originally founded to promote inter-ethnic dialogue and rural development, APDI says it has been forced to shift its focus from peacebuilding to emergency advocacy. In its latest statement, the group outlined a five-point rescue agenda:
- Immediate military deployment to key roads and border communities.
- Arrest and prosecution of militia leaders and their collaborators.
- Full enforcement of the Anti-Open Grazing Law across all of Agatu.
- Humanitarian aid for displaced farmers, including food and seed support.
- Structured dialogue between herders, farmers, and government officials to address root causes.
“This is not about tribe religion or political parties —it is about security and survival,” Alhassan said. “If the government won’t act now, the cost will be famine, mass displacement, and irreversible damage to rural life in Benue.”
A Crisis With National Implications
Analysts warn that Agatu’s situation is a microcosm of Nigeria’s broader Middle Belt conflict, driven by land scarcity, weak enforcement, climate stress, and political indifference. According to SBM Intelligence, over 2,300 people have been killed in farmer-herder conflicts nationwide in the last four years, with thousands more displaced.
In Agatu, the cumulative toll is not just in lives lost, but in a slow, grinding collapse of food production—especially in staple crops like yam and rice, which the region is known for.
“We’re on the edge of a food security disaster,” APDI warned. “If farmers are too afraid to go to their fields, what happens next harvest season?”
Government Response: Promises, Not Protection
Though the National Security Adviser reportedly held an emergency briefing on June 1 following media coverage of the Oweto attack, local residents remain unconvinced.
“We don’t want meetings. We want patrols. We want arrests,” one farmer said at a gathering in Otukpo. “Every time they promise, our people end up in graves.”
APDI says it will continue to raise its voice until decisive steps are taken by President Bola Tinubu, Governor Hyacinth Alia, and security agencies.
“This is not just about Agatu anymore,” Alhassan concluded. “It’s about whether rural Nigerians—our farmers, our mothers, our youth—have a future at all.”
Sidebar: APDI’s Five Alarms to Government
Stop the killings and kidnappings now
Enforce the 2017 Anti-Open Grazing Law
Deploy security to flashpoints
Support displaced farmers with aid
Initiate true dialogue—not token gestures
