Crisis in Benue: Militant miners wage assaults, occupy agricultural land

A drive through the Anyiin-Ayilamo road in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State reveals a haunting scene, with abandoned houses and compounds overtaken by weeds lining both sides of the road.

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The once-thriving farming communities have been reduced to ghost towns, not due to migration or economic hardship, but as a result of fear instilled by repeated attacks from suspected armed herdsmen.

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These attacks have forced residents to flee their homes and farmlands, leaving entire settlements deserted, while mining activities are being carried out with impunity by criminal elements who invade and occupy these areas.

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The scale of displacement is evident to anyone traveling through the area, with communities stretching from Tsukwa to Akwana and up to areas approaching Ayilamo town in Tombo Council Ward having been largely sacked and abandoned.

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A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the shocking transformation of the once busy settlements, saying that the houses from Tsukwa down to Akwana and even the areas shortly before Ayilamo town are completely deserted due to attacks by armed Fulani herdsmen.

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The resident added that the farms in these areas lie untended, and the locals cannot return to their ancestral homes to farm due to fear of being killed by the armed herdsmen, resulting in the loss of their only means of survival.

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According to the resident, the communities were known for their rich agricultural activities, with farmers cultivating large fields of yam, cassava, maize, and other crops that sustained families and contributed to the local economy.

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While villagers remain unable to return to their land, residents say mining operations are taking place in many of the deserted areas, sparking suspicion among locals who question why the attackers target local farmers while leaving mining sites untouched.

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A local resident noted that there have been no reports of armed herdsmen attacking mining operators in the affected areas, with mining activities going on freely in these deserted places.

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Media practitioner Joseph Apegh, who hails from Logo LGA, lamented the ordeal of his people, saying that the natural resources found in the area have become a source of pain for the people, with artisanal mining actively taking place in communities such as Mbagber, Tombo, Ukemberagya/Tswarev, and Ayilamo.

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Apegh pointed out that the situation suggests that the attackers may be protecting the mining operations, as communities are attacked and sacked while miners are protected and not attacked by the herders.

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According to Apegh, minerals such as lithium, fluorite, iron ore, gemstones, and limestone are being mined daily, describing the situation as deeply painful for displaced residents.

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Lawrence Akerigba, a former adviser to the Chairman of Kwande LGA, said several communities hosting mining sites have been deserted by their indigenous residents due to attacks by armed herdsmen, with mining taking place in multiple locations despite the security crisis.

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Akerigba identified a mining site at Mbakyol Council Ward in Menakwgh community, where Chinese people are doing the mining, and wondered why armed herdsmen are attacking the owners of the land and chasing them away while allowing the miners to continue their businesses without attacking them.

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He also identified another mining site at Inungugh in Yaav Council Ward, where villagers have reportedly fled due to attacks, but the Chinese people are staying comfortably, with the herders shooting any indigene they sight.

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Akerigba said many residents believe there could be a form of collaboration between the attackers and those involved in mining, suspecting connivance between the Chinese and the armed herdsmen.

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He pointed to another mining site in Waya community in Yaav Council Ward, where miners operate despite the displacement of residents, with the owners of the land having vacated the area but the foreigners continuing their mining activities unchallenged.

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Akerigba described the situation in the area as heartbreaking, with the minerals being extracted including gold, aluminium, lithium, iron ore, and titanium-iron oxide.

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He said the attack has forced residents of several communities to abandon their homes entirely, with five wards in Turan, including Mbadura, Kumakwagh, Moon, Yaav, and Mbakyul, having been largely vacated due to the violence.

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Akerigba added that the recent attack in Jato Aka, which claimed 13 lives and left many injured, has further exacerbated the situation, with his own village, Boagungu Mbaav, losing 10 people in a similar attack.

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According to Akerigba, several victims of the attacks are currently receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, and the community is pleading with the Federal Government to investigate the link between the armed herdsmen and those mining in their communities.