A Bloody Weekend in Benue and Plateau

Over the weekend, suspected terrorists unleashed a deadly wave of violence in Benue and Plateau states, leaving at least 27 people dead. The brutal attacks have sparked outrage and protests in Benue, with angry youths carrying the corpses of the victims to the palace of the Och'Idoma and major roads in protest.

The attacks began on Friday when suspected armed herdsmen invaded Akpachi village in Ugboju community and killed two farmers on their farmland. Their bodies were recovered on Saturday and buried. Barely 24 hours later, at about 4 a.m. yesterday (on Sunday), the gunmen struck again, invading Otukpo-Nobi community, where at least 16 persons were reportedly killed, while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

The renewed bloodshed came barely two weeks after the killing of the Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, Ardo Mohammed, and his companion, Yakubu Isah, who were ambushed and murdered at Okutu community in Otukpo while returning from a peace meeting in Idekpa, Ohimini Local Government Area.

Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, linked the incident to possible reprisals following the killing of the MACBAN chairman. 'You know, I am sure the news of the death of Ardo Risku Mohammed is no longer news to you, and with the mindset of the people we are dealing with, you should also know that reprisals will likely occur,' Ogiri said.

The killing of the Benue State Chairman of MACBAN was seen as a move to sabotage peace efforts in the state. The attacks have sparked widespread outrage, with angry youths demanding decisive action from the authorities.

### 'Enough is Enough,' Protesters Chant

The protesters, who stormed the palace of the Och'Idoma with the victims' corpses, disrupted an ongoing church service and demanded that the authorities take decisive action to halt the recurring attacks. Chanting war songs, the protesters accused the authorities of failing to protect their communities. They carried placards demanding the deployment of more security personnel to the area.

'Ebi Adoyi, a resident of Otukpo, appealed to the Federal Government and the Benue State Government to urgently deploy more security personnel to the area. He said that after killing two people in Ikpachi on Friday, the suspected terrorists attacked Otukpo Nobi killing 16 persons including women and children.

'The figure may be higher because search is still ongoing for missing people,' Adoyi said. 'We are tired of these killings without any tangible action from the authorities. The protest will continue in the days to come because we are tired of these killings.'

### A Call for Calm

The Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, appealed for calm, saying efforts were underway to prevent further violence. He explained that the first attack occurred on Friday when three villagers went to their farms in Akpachi. 'The bandits came and killed two of them. One escaped and alerted the community. We recovered the corpses on Saturday and buried them. We had combed the bushes believing the attackers had fled, but very early this Sunday morning, around 4 a.m., we received reports that they had besieged Otukpo-Nobi, killing several people and injuring many others.'

### The Governor Condemns the Attacks

Reacting to the killings, Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned what he described as barbaric attacks on Akpachi village and Otukpo-Nobi community. In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, the governor 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 lamented that the attacks occurred despite efforts by his administration, traditional rulers and security agencies to restore peace. 'These acts of mindless bloodshed are a direct attempt to sabotage the progress of our state. Your lives are precious, and I can assure you that your ancestral lands will not be surrendered to the forces of darkness,' the governor said.