No fewer than 16 people were reportedly killed by armed herders in the Nobi community, Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to a local source, the attackers invaded the village in the early hours of Sunday, unleashing fear.
Angered by the situation, community youths and women marched through Otukpo’s principal avenues, including the Och’Idoma palace, to condemn the deaths.
As of the time of reporting this article, protestors have shut off all gates to the historic town, including the Enugu-Otukpo and Makurdi-Otukpo routes.
One of the demonstrators, Comfort Inalegwu, told our correspondent in a phone chat on Sunday that “Some Fulani herdsmen, between 3:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. today, attacked the Nobi community in Otukpo, shooting sporadically, which made residents flee.
“At least 16 people were killed this morning during the attack. I lost my sister and two of her children in the attack. The Fulani entered her house and shot them. Their corpses are now at the mortuary of Otukpo General Hospital.”
Inalegwu, who claimed that numerous persons were hurt in the incident, said that women would continue to protest and prevent elections from taking place in the region unless the government halted the killing of innocent people in Idoma land.
She stated that several individuals were still missing when she spoke with our journalist.
Maxwell Ogiri, Chairman of the Otukpo Local Government Area, could not be reached for comment at the time of reporting this story.
Meanwhile, Governor Hyacinth Alia denounced the deaths 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”.
Tersoo Kula, the governor’s chief press secretary, delivered the censure in a statement sent to media in Makurdi on Sunday.
The statement read in part, “The suspected armed herders 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.
“These acts of mindless bloodshed are a direct attempt to sabotage the progress of our state.”
Alia, who expressed sadness over the attack, said he ‘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.’
The governor stated that the people of the state have repeatedly displayed extraordinary moderation and devotion to peace but cautioned that such patience should never be misinterpreted as weakness.
While consoling the residents of Otukpo, the governor stated, “My government stands firmly with you, and we will not allow our communities to be turned into killing fields.”
He urged all security services working in the state to coordinate with their colleagues in neighbouring states and to “swing into action” with increased vigour by increasing surveillance and patrols throughout impacted towns and borders.
He also urged security forces to identify and prosecute the offenders, as well as deploy more people and resources to safeguard vulnerable populations and avoid future atrocities.
While urging Benue people to be watchful, the governor asked every person to collaborate with the police and military by supplying timely and verifiable intelligence, stating, “Security is a collective responsibility, and your information is a vital tool in our defence.”
Meanwhile, DSP Udeme Edet, spokesman for the Benue State Police Command, could not be reached at the time of publishing this story.
