Fulani herdsmen attack: Community drags FG to ECOWAS

People of Agatu community have sued the federal government to court for failing to protect them from the attacks of Fulani herdsmen

– The community has filed a lawsuit against the government at an ECOWAS court where it has demanded for N10bn compensation

– The money, the community says, is compensation for deaths, injuries and properties destroyed in the attacks by the Fulani herdsmen

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) is reporting that members of Agatu community in Benue state, which recently suffered several attacks from Fulani herdsmen, has dragged federal government before an ECOWAS court.

NAN reports that in an application made available to it on Wednesday, September 21, the Agatu people say they are demanding a N10billion compensation for the failure of the government to protect them and bring to justice the rampaging Fulani herdsmen.

The community alleged that thousands of people were killed and properties worth over N1 billion were destroyed by the herdsmen. They claimed that the compensation they are demanding is for the alleged deaths, injuries and destroyed properties.

The Agatu people say that they want the ECOWAS court to also issue an order directing the federal government to take measures to secure the community from such attacks in the future.

The application read in part: “The defendant did not take legislative, judicial or security measures to prevent protect or assuage the continuous killings and destruction of properties in Agatu.
“Despite the wholesome level of human rights violations by the so called “Fulani herdsmen” in March 2016, the defendant’s top functionaries – The President; the Minister of Interior and the Inspector General of Police – have refused to visit the victims and the communities.

“All the defendant and its agencies do after every attack is to lay the blame on “Fulani herdsmen” and then refuse to prevent further killings and destruction of properties.”

NAIJ.com recalls that Benue state governor Samuel Ortom vowed that a law to prohibit open grazing of cattle in the state will soon be enacted after several attacks from the herdsmen.

The governor made this disclosure in Makurdi, Benue state capital on Monday, June 27, at the end of the Town Hall Meeting he held with stakeholders in the three senatorial zones of the state.