Leader of North Central Peace Advocates, Frank Utor, has said the perpetrators of killings in Benue, Plateau and other states in the North Central region are not herders, but international terror groups.

In a statement on Monday in Abuja, Utor said, “The killers are not herdsmen. They do not rear cattle. They do not engage in any known pastoral activities. On the contrary, they rustle cattle from legitimate herders to raise money for their nefarious activities. They then weaponize the confusion to destabilise society.”

Recall that Benue and Plateau States have come under serious attacks in recent times with hundreds of residents killed and others displaced.

The recent terrible attack that claimed over one hundred residents of Benue took place in Yelwata in Guma Local Government Area, at the weekend where residents were burnt to death while asleep, and others massacred.

Reacting to the development, Utor, leader of the North Central Peace Advocates, said if the federal government is not prepared to confront the reality head-on, the people of North Central would continue to be on the receiving end, adding that the Benue State government must do everything possible to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“Intelligence and on-ground evidence indicate that the killers are well-trained members and affiliates international terror groups, whose only mission is warfare against the indigenous communities of Benue, Plateau and other parts of North Central Nigeria.

“The killers don’t come on donkeys, or camels or horses; they ride on motorcycles, well-armed to attacks communities and retreat to their camps.

“By describing these terror groups as herdsmen, government after government have misdiagnosed and downplayed this major national security threat to the peace and stability of Nigeria.

“This mischaracterization is one of the greatest obstacles to ending the Benue and North Central crisis. It deprives the security agencies of the legal and operational clarity needed to confront the threat decisively.

“We must therefore call these killers what they are: terrorists—not herders, not bandits, but foreign-backed armed insurgents. This is who they are,” he said, adding that the killings are politically motivated. (Daily Trust)