Former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark has urged the Benue and Nassarawa state governments to set up a mediation committee to look into the remote and immediate causes of hostilities between the people of Agatu and the Fulani herdsmen to halt the continued loss of lives and properties.
Fulani in Nassarawa state are said to be having boundary disputes with the Agatu people of Benue state.
Fresh hostilities broke out last weekend between the Agatu and Fulani herdsmen leaving at least seven persons dead, several others injured and scores of properties destroyed.
Senator Mark in a reaction to the crisis enjoined the Benue and Nassarawa state governments to immediately wade into the matter and restore normalcy. In doing so, the former Senate President suggested an urgent mediation and reconciliation joint committee to halt further hostilities.
He also requested security agencies to collaborate with each other in order to arrest the situation forthwith.
Senator Mark implored the security operatives to leave no stone unturned to bring the perpetrators to book at least to serve as deterrent to others.
A worried Senator Mark stressed: “We cannot continue to fight this needless war. No matter what the matter may be, We must return to the dialogue table in a give and take manner . Whatever cannot be resolved through dialogue cannot be resolved through the barrels the gun.
“We must say no to this resort to barbaric ways of settling disagreements. We must tolerate each other and live in harmony. That is the only way we can make progress and truly develop our communities.”
Senator Mark said no community or nation can live in isolation. “We need each other to give meaning to life”, he said.
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