The Agatu Youth Development Initiative (AYDI) has condemned the renewed incidents of cattle rustling in some communities in Benue State, warning that the development could derail the existing peace deal in the Local Government Area.

Agatu, one of the local councils in Benue State, has a history of violent clashes between locals and herders.

In a statement signed on Sunday by its National President, Ngbede Edoh, the youth organisation expressed regret that the relative peace which had prevailed for some time now might be threatened unless urgent steps are taken to nip cattle rustling in the bud.

The group recalled that shortly after his election in October 2024, the Agatu Council Chairman, Melvin Ejeh, had initiated a peace process culminating in several town hall meetings in collaboration with all stakeholders.

“We are constrained to issue this press statement in light of recent events in the Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, whose people are known to be peace lovers, peace makers, and peace builders.

“We are deeply concerned about verified reports of fresh rustling of over 210 cows by enemies of Agatu, who seek to reverse the gains our people have been enjoying from the peace strategy with Fulani leaders, which ensured that herders and settlers respect the laws, traditions, and customs of their host communities.

“As a gesture of reciprocity, our people undertook to be good hosts, hospitable and accommodating in demonstration of their time-honoured nature.

“We are afraid that if nothing is done, and urgently to,o Agatu land might return to the dark days when killings and reprisals were the order of the day.

“As is often said, ‘beneficiaries of acts of wickedness and crimes are those that originate them.’ Therefore, no effort should be spared to stop evildoers from taking us back to Egypt,” the group said.

It continued: “As a transparent, non-profit organisation, we make bold to state that the perpetrators of these fresh, targeted acts of violence do not represent Agatu, and do not have the stainless and pure blood of Agatu running in their veins.

“Our painstaking investigations revealed that they are bad eggs, sponsored to truncate the peace enjoyed by the good people of Agatu since the assumption of office by Chairman Melvin Ejeh.

“They are crisis merchants who accept the least of incentives including a mess of pottage to maim, kill, and spill innocent blood just to satisfy their paymasters.”

Nonetheless, AYDI appreciated the Commander and troops of Operation Whirl Stroke, the Police, Department of State Services (DSS), and other relevant security agencies whose efforts have continued to ensure relative peace in Agatu in particular, and Benue State in general.

“We want to use this medium to commend the gallantry of the Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke and his troops, the DSS, Police, as well as other security and law enforcement agencies for the great work they have been doing to keep our people and dear state safe.

“We urge them to sustain the momentum and the aggressive posture that have ensured the relative peace and order we have continued to witness in the past months,” the statement added.