Touched by the mass killings and violence in Benue and Enugu States, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), South Saharan Social Development Organisation (SSDO), on Thursday, asked the Federal Government and National Assembly to support states to fully implement their anti-open grazing laws, while promoting peaceful livestock management solutions such as ranching, with federal investment in alternative livelihoods for nomadic communities.

In a statement in reaction to recent killings in Aguamede, Eha-Amufu, Enugu State and Yelewata, Guma in Benue State, the SSDO stated that the developments were not only heart-wrenching atrocities but acts of mass violence and grave violations of fundamental human rights.

On Sunday, June 15, Aguamede, Eha-Amufu, in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State, was thrown into mourning as armed assailants suspected to be herdsmen invaded the area while some residents were still in church, and began a cold, calculated massacre.

By the time the village stirred in panic, more than 10 people had been slaughtered in their homes, their skulls split open. The tragedy came a week after a similar attack in nearby Mbuji claimed four lives.
Similarly, in Benue State, on June 13, two days before the Enugu killings, over 200 persons were massacred in Yelewata community by suspected herdsmen.

“These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a long-standing, painful crisis in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and Southeast, one that reflects unresolved tensions between herders and farmers, deep land-use conflicts, and the tragic consequences of a weakened rural security framework.

“We acknowledge that some steps have been taken. We commend the deployment of security forces, and the resilience and sacrifice of local vigilantes and security operatives who often stand in the gap with limited support,” the group said

SSDO, therefore, called for scale up implementation of grazing and land use laws; establishment of Community Dialogue Platforms; facilitation of sustained peace and reconciliation dialogues between herder and farming communities, especially in flashpoint areas; launch of a Rural Crisis Recovery and Support Fund and a special intervention fund for families affected by the attacks to help with burial support, trauma care, rebuilding of homes, and restoration of farmlands.

They also called for reliance on existing frameworks to digitally track threats, respond to local intelligence swiftly, and ensure that reported threats, such as those before the Yelewata attack, are never ignored again.