Apa/Agatu under siege: Fulani takeover sparks fear as Alia’s peace accord fails

The reconciliation initiative between Fulani herdsmen and the Apa/Agatu communities, led by Agatu LGA Chairman James Melvin Ejeh under Governor Hyacinth Alia’s directive, has failed.

Instead of peace, it has paved the way for an accelerated occupation, leaving villages abandoned and residents living in fear.

The agreed conditions for resettlement—unarmed return, designated grazing areas, and a phased process—were ignored. Now, apart from Ugbokpo, Oiji, Ikobi, and Ugbobi, most communities are overrun. In places like Odugbo and Edikwu, herdsmen control the area in shifts, making farming impossible and forcing locals into silent submission.

Governor Alia’s so-called peace initiative appears to be a strategy to normalize Fulani resettlement, disregarding the Anti-Open Grazing Law and enabling land encroachment. The government’s silence suggests complicity rather than oversight.

Political representatives, including National Assembly member Ojotu Ojema, have remained silent, failing to stand up for their constituents. Their inaction has left the people defenseless against this orchestrated takeover.

The recent massacre in Okpamaju, Otukpo LGA, exposes the falsehood of the peace accord. If true reconciliation had been achieved, why are people still being killed? The Idoma diaspora has condemned the situation, calling for urgent intervention.

Human rights activists warn that this is not peace but a gradual conquest. “This is a calculated strategy to establish Fulani control over Apa,” says a security expert. If nothing is done, this could set the stage for a broader takeover.

The question remains: will the people accept their fate, or will they resist the forces threatening their existence?