George Okoh in Makurdi
Scores of residents have been confirmed dead following separate attacks by suspected armed herdsmen on communities in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to local sources, the attacks started on Saturday when suspected herdsmen attacked Akpachi village in Ugboju community, killing two persons and leaving several others with varying degrees of injuries.
Less than 24 hours later, the attackers reportedly struck again, this time invading Otukpo Nobi community in the early hours of Sunday, where eight persons were killed and several others injured.
The attacks also triggered protests by angry youths and residents, who marched to the Och’Idoma Palace in Otukpo town to express their frustration over the worsening security situation and demand urgent government intervention.
The latest violence came barely one month after the killing of the Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Ardo Risku Mohammed, and his associate, Yakubu Isah, around Okwudu in Otukpo Local Government Area after attending a peace meeting in Ohimini LGA.
Meanwhile, Governor Hyacinth Alia, has condemned the attacks.
In a press statement by his Press Secretary Tersoo Kula, he described the attacks as not only a breach of peace, but also a barbaric and inhuman assault on the sanctity of life and the collective soul of the people of Benue State.
He said the suspected armed herdsmen reportedly invaded Akpachi Village in Akpa, Otukpo Local Government Area, between 3:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. while residents were asleep. The attackers killed scores of people, while many others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
The governor said he was particularly pained that the attacks occurred at a time when the state government has been working closely with traditional rulers and security agencies to foster lasting peace and harmony.
He stated that “these acts of mindless bloodshed are a direct attempt to sabotage the progress of our state.”
Alia, however, shared in the grief and anger of the people of Otukpo and the entire Benue South Senatorial District, saying, “Your lives are precious, and I can assure you that your ancestral lands will not be surrendered to fear.”
He warned that while the people of Benue have consistently demonstrated remarkable restraint and a commitment to peace, such restraint must never be mistaken for weakness.
”My government stands firmly with you, and we will not allow our communities to be turned into killing fields,” he declares.
Alia however issued a directive to all security agencies operating in the state to liaise with their counterparts in neighbouring states and once again “swing into action” with renewed vigour by intensifying surveillance and patrols across the affected communities and border areas.
He further directs the security agencies to relentlessly pursue the perpetrators, ensure their arrest and prosecution, and deploy additional personnel and resources to protect vulnerable communities and prevent further attacks.
