The unforgotten pain of Ekaida Community, in Agatu local government of Benue State.
When people talk about the Ologba and Egba crisis, the conversation is often centered on those two communities. Yet, there is another community that has suffered deeply, silently, and almost without anyone speaking for them. That community is Ekaida. The Abada community is also a victim, but today’s spotlight is on Ekaida.
Ekaida sits between Ologba and Egba. They are peaceful farmers, not fishermen, and they had no hand in the dispute that has torn the region apart. According to testimonies from displaced families now taking refuge in Obagaji, their entire community was allegedly burnt down on 13 March 2010 by Egba youths. Homes were lost, food barns destroyed, farmlands ruined, and families scattered. Imagine waking up one morning and everything you own is gone. Children who once played freely in their compounds now live with fear and trauma from a conflict they did not start and never understood.
Ekaida has carried this pain alone for years. Whenever the Ologba and Egba crisis is discussed, their story is often left out. Their suffering is rarely acknowledged, even though they are among the worst hit. Many of them still live in displacement, without a home to return to and without support from the authorities. They did not fight, they did not struggle over land, they were simply caught in the middle.
To make things worse, due to the recent hostilities between the two larger communities, there are reports that some youths from one of the sides are destroying and harvesting Ekaida’s crops. These are the same farmlands the people depend on for survival. It is heartbreaking that a community that has already lost everything is still facing more pain.
Ekaida deserves justice just like Ologba and Egba. They deserve recognition, humanitarian support, and protection. Their story must be told, and their cries must not be ignored. No community should be left behind as Agatu seeks peace!!!.