Herdsmen: Church decried raping of married women, aged widows

By Kingsley Chukwuka

A bloc of the body of Church, TEKAN/ECWA, under the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has lamented the evil being perpetrated by Fulani herdsmen in all town and villages in Plateau State forcefully taken over by herders.

TEKAN/ECWA said most of the communities in the State have been sized by herdsmen through land grabbing.

The Church decried that residents under the control of Fulani bandits are being rapped at random, killed and have their farms destroyed without any security agencies coming to their rescue.

“Most especially in Bassa Local Government Area, such as Rukuba and Pengana Chiefdoms where reported cases of raping of married women, aged widows, destruction of farm lands and other unspeakable activities are taken place.

“The unprovoked attacks by the killer Fulani herders and militia in our communities in the various LGAs has become increasingly worrisome, even as same are being recorded in other LGAs in the State.

“The recent attacks in Bassa LGA, especially in Irigwe Chiefdom, has left several houses and places of worship burnt, with several people killed, farms destroyed, crops stolen and a number of people displaced; these are just incidences in one Chiefdoms not to mention those of other parts of Bassa LGA”, the Church bloc said.

TEKAN/ECWA called on government to as a matter of urgency to move in and secure the volatile communities and stop paying lip service, adding that the lands that have been forcefully taken, should without delay return back to their owners.

“With the raising cases of insecurity, we are calling on the government and the security agencies as a matter of urgency to answer this clarion call and be responsible to their duties as the security and protection of lives and properties are the primary responsibility of every government.

“We are also calling on our churches and members to defend themselves from the killer Fulani herdsmen squad in our efforts to complement the effort of the security personnel”, a statement signed by the leader of the bloc, Rev. Moses Ebuga said.