Benue Killings: Mayor Calls For Security Surveillance To Mitigate Conflicts

…Appeals to Alia to enforce ban on open grazing

…condemn murder of 7 youths, hunters

Disturbed by the gruesome killing of seven youths and five hunters in the Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State by suspected armed herdsmen terrorists, the Mayor of Otukpo, Chief Aloga Ignatius Ogbogo has called on both the state and federal governments to heighten security surveillance in the area to identify the culprits and bring them to justice.

Besides, the monarch appealed to Governor Hyacinth Alia to immediately enforce the ban on open grazing to mitigate conflicts between herders and local farmers.

Chief Ogbogo, in a statement he signed on behalf of the Och’ Idoma, HRM Elaigwu Odogbo Obagaji John and the entire Idoma Traditional Council, condemned the senseless and brutal murder of seven youths and hunters of Otukpo origin in Okpomaju village, Okete Ward, Otukpo district of the state.

He described the incident as a premeditated attack, orchestrated by armed bandits with the intent to instil fear and destabilize the community.

“This tragic event mirrors similar attacks in Agatu, Guma, and Gwer-West Local Government Areas, where armed assailants have continued to threaten, displace, and murder innocent locals”.

Chief Ogbogo questioned the motives behind the attack, emphasizing that the perpetrators could not have been local herdsmen, who, if aggrieved, would have reported any concerns to community leaders or security agencies rather than resorting to violence.

He urged both the State and Federal Governments to establish a police post and a military unit of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) in Okpomaju to curb the activities of criminal elements not only in the affected communities but also in surrounding farming communities, including Odudaje, Otukpo-Icho, Emichi, Amla, and Otukpo-Nobi.

Chief Ogbogo admonished the youths of Otukpo to exercise restraint and avoid any form of reprisal attacks, assuring them that security agencies are fully committed to ensuring that justice is served.

He extended deep condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones in the tragic attack and prayed for God’s comfort and strength in this difficult time.

However, he firmly asserts that such atrocities will not be tolerated in Okpomaju or any other village in Idoma land any longer.