The Convener, Benue Open Government Society (BOGS), Mr. Sam Agwa has criticised the BBC report titled “What is behind the wave of killings in central Nigeria?” saying it is one-sided, biased and does not represent what is happening in Benue State.
Mr. Agwa, who spoke with TNT from the People’s Republic of China, said the report does not represent the facts of the violent attacks on local communities in North central Nigeria, particularly, Benue State, where thousands including women, children and the old are killed while their communities sacked and occupied by cattle rearers.
“The BBC has not done a thorough job, and by that, it is not fair to the people of Benue State who are killed in unprovoked attacks and dehumanising ways. Everything in the report indicates that they have not visited the state, heard from the people and have gone to press as if they are this generation that seeks number of views and reactions on their social media handles.
“It is unlike the BBC,” Mr. Agwa told TNT. He was referring to the 30 paragraph report by the BBC.
Mr. Agwa was particularly concerned that the BBC would go to press without hearing from locals, thereby imposing the view of the “man who plays a victim” for the world to see.
“Our people are not behind the Benue killings, we know there are some unresolved issues in Benue which have been there for some time.
“But we have never allowed any of our people to attack or kill others,” the BBC quotes Baba Othman Ngelzarma, who it describes as a community leader as saying.
According to Mr. Agwa, the views of Baba Ngelzarma, “a purported community leader from who knows where” as quoted by the BBC without recourse to the feelings of the people is not only insulting; it shows no empathy to the already helpless and traumatised people of Benue State.
He explained that severally, the Fulani, through both their socio-political group, Fulani Ethnic Nationality Movement, and the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, have claimed responsibility for killings in the state.
He emphasised that “there is nothing to exonerate the Fulani from killings in the state because if they are not directly responsible for the killings and displacement of local populations in Benue State they are beneficiaries of these inhuman acts against the people.”
Mr. Agwa echoes the sentiment of other Benue sons and daughters in the diaspora who have described BBC’s reporting to TNT as “shocking misinformation”, “one-sided”, “lazy” and “an insult to the victims of Yelwata town”.
Mr. Agwa, invites the BBC to visit Benue State, speak with the “dehumanised, traumatised people that have been chased out of their homes, becoming refugees in their own country.”
