The protracted communal clashes that have claimed several lives and led to destruction of houses and farmlands in Agatu Benue State seem to have come to an end.
This is following a joint Security Meeting involving the two states that have been worst hit in the crisis – Nasarawa and Benue States.
Governors Samuel Ortom of Benue State and Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa States held a joint meeting with the Agatu in Benue State and Fulani representatives from Nasarawa State on the need for peace and harmonious co-existence between the Agatu people and the Fulani herdsmen as it were before the crisis.
The meeting which was held in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, was attended by members of Security Councils of the two States, traditional rulers and other critical stakeholders held a meeting with the Agatu people at Obagaji, Headquarters of Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State.
A communiqué issued after the meeting stated that “The Agatu in Benue State and the Fulani herdsmen agreed to make peace and forgive each other.”
The parties also agreed on “dedicated routes … for movement of cattle as follows: Oguto Adanyi – Ogumagbo- Bagana.”
However, “the privilege is only granted to indigenous Fulani herdsmen who were known to the Agatu people before the crisis. This is to forestall destruction of farms and exhaustion of available green pasture.”
Furthermore, it was agreed that “the indigenous Fulani Herdsmen will graze in Agatu land after the harvest season at the end of February 2017.”
It was also pointed out during the peace meeting that there is an increase in “the proliferation of sophisticated weapons and ammunition in the two communities”, hence security agencies in the two States were urged to take action to check the development.
“We also urge all those in possession of illegal weapons to surrender immediately,” the communiqué read.
While calling on the Federal Government to do all it can to checkmate migrant herdsmen from entering the country illegally, the Governors of the two states were urged to “make a case to the Federal Government, donor agencies,development partners, voluntary organizations and philanthropists to assist victims of the crisis in the affected communities of Benue and Nasarawa States.”
All parties, Agatu and Fulani were advised to refrain from taking Laws into their own hands and to report all breaches to the constituted authority.
The Governors also pledged to provide the sum of N30 million to provide building materials for the Agatu Communities with Benue state bringing N20 million and Nasarawa providing N10 million.
Both communities were urged to convene a forum with their people to brief them of the outcome of the peace meeting.
Earlier, Governors Ortom and Al-Makura, in company of some security chiefs, had undertaken an aerial Inspection of areas affected by the herdsmen/farmers crisis in Agatu to ascertain the actual level of devastation.