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MAKURDI – Attacks by armed herdsmen on two communities in Otukpo, Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State, have claimed the lives of about 18 persons, including women and children, last weekend.
The herdsmen who had attacked and killed two persons at Akpachi village at about 3am on Friday, again attacked Otukpo-Nobi community, at about 5am on Sunday, killing 16 other persons.
Although INDEPENDENT learned that many persons, including women and children, lost their lives to the incident, neither the state government nor the police is yet to release the official figures concerning the incident.
The incident sparked off protests in Otukpo town on Sunday, with protestors blocking major entrances in and out of the town, and marched to the palace of the Ochi’Idoma, where there was a near breakdown of law and order.
However, conflicting reports are emerging from the area, while the chairman of the LGA, Maxwell Ogiri, in a telephone interview, said, so far, local authorities have recovered ten corpses; two in Akpachi and 8 in Otukpo-Nobi, while local sources said 16 persons were killed in Otukpo-Nobi, and two in Akpachi.
Meanwhile, the state governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, has condemned the killing, warning that the restraint and peace demonstrated by the state should not be mistaken for weakness.
Sir Tersoo Kula, Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Governor Alia, in a statement made available to newsmen in Makurdi on Sunday, regretted the loss of lives, describing the incident as a breach of the peace.
According to Kula, “The Governor says he is 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 describes 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.”
Pointing out that the “mindless bloodshed” was an attempt to sabotage the progress of the state, Alia said, “My government stands firmly with you (people of Otukpo), and we will not allow our communities to be turned into killing fields.”
Kula further stated that “Governor Alia shares 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.”
Governor Alia called on security agencies in the state to liaise with their counterparts in neighbouring states and intensify surveillance and patrols across the affected communities and border areas.
He further directed security agencies to pursue the perpetrators, ensure their arrest and prosecution, and deploy additional personnel and resources to protect vulnerable communities and prevent further attacks.
“We urge every citizen to cooperate with the police and military by providing timely and credible intelligence. Security is a collective responsibility, and your information is a vital tool in our defence, he advised.
Alia also sympathised with families of the bereaved, and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured, reassuring Benue citizens that his administration remains committed to safeguarding lives and property.
On his part, chairman, Otukpo LGA, Maxwell Ogiri, explained that, “The day before yesterday (Friday) in a village called Apachi here in Otukpo, three persons went to the farm to do their work and the bandits came and killed two of them. One escaped eventually to alert the community.
“The following day we mobilized to the farm to see whether they were actually killed or they were injured, and we got there and saw their corpses, which we brought back and buried on Saturday.
“Until very early this (Sunday) morning, at about 4am, we woke up with the news that they had besieged Otukpo-Nobi and had killed some numbers and injured several others.”
He explained that the total number of deaths recorded for now is 10; two were killed on Friday in Apachi and eight were killed this (Sunday) morning in Otukpo-Nobi, while others sustained injuries, stressing that security has also been beefed up in the area.
“We are trying to calm the youth so that they don’t take their anger on innocent passersby. They took the corpse of the dead to the palace of the Ochi’Idoma in protest.”
