Photo credit:Nigerian inforpedia.
By Ijeoma Obioma, Makurdi
The death toll in Wednesday herders attack in Gbeji community of Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State has risen to 36 while the where about of others remains unknown.
Following the massacre, Governor Samuel Ortom, Senator representing Benue North-East Senatorial district, Dr Gabriel Suswam, Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly and PDP guber candidate, Engr Titus Uba, House of Representatives Member for Ukum/Logo/Katsina-Ala Federal Constituency, Dr Richard Gbande among others, on Friday, visited the community.
Addressing families of the victims and other survivors during the visit, Governor Ortom, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Anthony Ijohor, SAN, expressed sadness over the unfortunate incident.
He reiterated his call on the federal government to approve for the State Government to procure sophisticated weapons for the Community Volunteer Guards to protect the people.
The Governor insisted that the limited conventional security agencies were overstretched and were unable to provide adequate protection for people of the state.
“We are standing on our request for the Federal Government to give us license for our Volunteer Guards to bear AK-47 and other sophisticated weapons. The security agencies have been overstretched, that being the case, our people have to defend themselves,” he said.
Governor Ortom urged young people to stand firm and protect their lands, stating that self help is the only option left in view of of the continued killing of innocent lives in the state.
He sympathized with those who lost loved ones in the attack and encouraged them not to lose hope, no matter the circumstances, saying that the State Government would provide palliatives to offer succour to the affected persons.
Senator Suswam in his remarks, described the attack as totally unacceptable.
He said:”So far, 36 bodies have been recovered from this dastardly attack by herdsmen. This is totally unacceptable by all standards.
“What this means,in effect, is that power has been transferred to non- state actors. They are totally in charge now and come to kill people at will and go freely and no person has ever been arrested.”
While commending the bravery of security operatives, Senator Suswam maintained that they had been overstretched, noting that among those killed were two policemen who were grossly inadequate and could not cope with the firepower of the terrorists.
The Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly and PDP Governorship candidate, Engr.Uba described the unprovoked killing as having gone on for too long without the situation arrested.
He advocated the creation of state Police to enable each state of the federation deal with rising security challenges.
The House of Representatives member for Ukum/Logo/Katsina-Ala Federal Constituency, Dr Gbande, State Assembly member for Ukum, Thomas Mlanga, Chairman of Ukum Local Government Council, Derick Kaatyoo as well the Acting Ter Ukum, Chief Utambe Nyagba unanimously condemned the attack.
According to them, what the unabated killings in the state means is that,the people should resort to self protection.
Our Correspondent reports that the Governor’s entourage later visited the morgue where corpses of the victims have been deposited as well as the hospital where those injured are receiving treatment.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
