The people of Tyoshin, Gwer West local government area of Benue state are reeling from another devastating attack, as suspected armed herders on Friday launched a violent assault along the Naka-Makurdi road, resulting in the deaths of five individuals seeking medical assistance.
This incident marks another dark chapter in a long history of violence that has plagued the state, leaving communities shattered and grieving.
In a statement signed by Patrick Ukase a professor and National president Forum of Tyoshin Academics and John Ajai also a professor and National Publicity Secretary of the Forum, sent to our correspondent on Saturday via Whatsapp in Jos, indicates that since 2011, Tyoshin has endured a relentless cycle of violence, with a staggering total of over 511 lives lost to attacks by armed herders. According to them, the period from 2011 to 2017 saw 192 fatalities, followed by a dramatic increase from 2018 to 2023, which accounted for an additional 302 lives lost. This year alone, 17 individuals have been murdered, with the true number of victims remaining uncertain as many continue to suffer in silence.
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“Once again, the people of Tyoshin were on Friday visited with another blood bath. Today marks another day of mourning, another black day etched in the hearts of our community. The relentless wave of violence continues as suspected armed herders have, once more, unleashed terror on our people—this time along the Naka Makurdi Road. The lives of five innocent souls, desperately taken to a clinic for treatment, have tragically slipped away, their cries unheard.
“Others lie in agony, fighting for their lives, yet the true number of those attacked remains unknown.
Since 2011, the toll of this violence has been staggering. Between 2011 and 2017, 192 sons and daughters of Tyoshin were gruesomely murdered by herders. From 2018 to 2023, the numbers escalated, with 302 more lives lost in the area. This year alone, 17 individuals have been mercilessly hacked down by these herders. These figures do not include those who have disappeared and have not been seen since 2011. In all, we have lost over 511 lives to this relentless onslaught.
Tyoshin land is bleeding, its cries drowned in the deafening silence of indifference”; the leaders lamented.
The statement added that the recent assault is part of a broader trend of violence that has gripped the area, with nine council wards in the Gwer-West Local Government Area already falling victim to these brutal attacks. Just days before the latest incident, three more lives were taken in Camp-Nagi, Mbachohon, underscoring the urgent need for intervention and protection for the vulnerable communities of Tyoshin.
The forum expressed their growing frustration with the inaction of both the Federal Government and the Benue State Government, as pleas for assistance remain unanswered.
They said the military presence, intended to provide safety and security, appears ineffective in curbing the ongoing violence, leaving residents feeling abandoned and forsaken.
The forum appealed directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Hyacinth Iormen Alia, urging them to take immediate action.
The forum insisted that the time for action is now, saying without intervention, the cries for help from Tyoshin may fall silent forever, leaving behind only the haunting memory of a once-thriving land now under siege.
It is observed that as the violence continues unabated, the residents of Tyoshin find themselves in a precarious position, grappling with the fear of further attacks and the loss of their loved ones. The situation demands urgent attention, as families mourn the loss of lives and the future of their homeland hangs in the balance.
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