March 17, (THEWILL)- The 401 Special Forces Bridge and Operation Whirl Stroke, now known as Sector 1 OPWS, has established a new Outpost in Gwer East, to forestall further attacks at Mbaikyor Mbalom communities by invading Fulani herdsmen.
The recent invasion led to the death of about 15 people, with several others sustaining various degrees of injuries, while farm produce was set ablaze during the attack.
Sources said the commitment and resilience exhibited by the Special Security Operative Sector 1 Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), Benue State, through prompt intervention, has resulted in what would have been an escalation of the crisis.
A resident, who does not want his name in print, noted that the establishment of an outpost at Mbalom Community was long overdue since the first incident in 2018 when two Catholic Priests and several others were killed by invading Fulani herdsmen.
The investigation also revealed that the security strategies displayed by the Sector 1 OPWS in the crisis area that had led to the restoration of normalcy in the affected community with fleeing members returning to their respective homes are worth commendation.
It was gathered that on March 11, 2024, the Commander 401 Special Forces Command, Major General H. E. Nzan, accompanied by the Commander Sector 1 Operation Whirl Stroke Benue State, visited Mbaikyaor, Mbalom, Gwer East local government area of the State, where they engaged in an interactive session with the traditional rulers, elders and youth of the area aimed at having first-hand information and knowing the remote causes of the attack that have claimed lives and property with others sustaining serious injuries on March 7th this year.
In the course of interaction, it was revealed that on February 28, 2024, some Fulani herders had entered the community with their cows and openly grazed and destroyed crops, which prompted villagers to arrest and hand over three herders to the police at Aliade Police Divisional Headquarters in Gwer East.
The villagers accused the herders of allowing their cows to consume and destroy their farm produce stored at various points valued at millions of naira.
According to residents, despite the arrests, the following day, some herders returned with their cows in their numbers and in the ensuing chaos, some headers fled the scene, leaving some cow heads behind, but they returned at night to cause mayhem in the course of searching for their cows.
One of the community leaders emphasised while narrating his experience before the Commander, stating that the attack on their community on March 7, 2024, was a result of herders’ resistance to the anti-open grazing law of Benue State.
After the assessment carried out by the 401 Special Forces Brigade, the Command decided to establish a new outpost at Mbaikyaor and troops were deployed there before the senior officers departed the community.
The deployment has prevented the possibility of retaliatory attacks and restored confidence in the devastated community whose residents are still living in fear. The villagers were also cautioned against taking laws into their own hands. They were instructed to report any suspicious activities of armed herders around their community to forces for quick intervention.
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