WHAT ARE THE SECURITY THREATS?

Along the outskirts of cities in Nigeria, there are traditional native villages set up along ancestral tribal lands. In most cases there is little to no modern infrastructure within these villages, making communication difficult in emergencies. As a result, these villages remain vulnerable to natural disasters and physical attacks from enemy forces.

The Fulani Tribe are culturally Muslim herdsmen. They move from place to place with their large herds of cattle seeking land for them to graze. When the grasslands in the outskirts begin to dry up during the dry season in Nigeria, they will move in towards the populated cities where land is irrigated. Radicalized sects of these Fulani Herdsmen will target Christian villages, specifically of the TIV Tribe who are Christian farmers by culture, slaughtering the people and burning down their homes. The Herdsmen will then inhabit the village and allow their cattle to graze the land, satisfying two objectives for them:

1. To establish an Islamic state throughout Nigeria by targeting innocent Christians

2. To provide land for their cattle to graze.

However, recent attacks have revealed some disturbing advancements in their agenda. In December 2020 alone, there have been several Fulani Herdsmen attacks within Benue State. In many of these instances, they have attacked in the middle of the night without any cattle. Usually, they attack during the day, using their cattle to disguise themselves as ordinary herdsmen. This gives evidence that these attacks are not truly about gaining land for their cattle but about their conquest of Nigeria to establish an Islamic State.

The previous Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, vowed to install security garrisons along the identified areas of infiltration of the Fulani Herdsmen, to counter the attacks along the outskirts of Makurdi, Benue State's capital. Makurdi happens to be the particular place where Boko Haram was stopped from moving further south in Nigeria. It is a predominantly Christian area that the Muslim extremists desire greatly to conquer.

HOW WE HELP

Ignition633 Ministries is partnering with local authorities and the government of Benue State to strengthen community safety and restore peace in vulnerable areas. We maintain an on-site Civil Defense Security Team stationed on our campus 24/7 to ensure protection for our mission base and the surrounding community.