Benue State governor, Hyacinth Alia yesterday conducted a mass burial for 15 farmers in Mbakyor community, Mbalom council ward of Gwer East local government area who were killed recently by the armed herdsmen.
This came as the president-general of Masev Development Association, Prof. Vitalis Tarhule, lamented that it was the third time the armed herdsmen attacked “our community killing more than 40 people. The first attack was in 2014, the second was in 2018 with the third in 2024. We are therefore appealing to the government of the day to establish a security outfit in the community to stop these attacks.”
Tarhule called on the state government to give the community the desired protection which according to him was the main aim they voted them into power.
17 parishioners and two Catholic priests were killed by armed herdsmen at St. Ignatius Quasi Parish, Ukpo-Ayar Mbalom on April 25, 2018 during the morning mass.
Governor Alia, in a funeral oration, condemned the attack and killing of innocent farmers with several others sustaining varying degrees of injuries.
The governor said this is the last time such ugly incident would occur in the community as his administration was working round the clock on security strategies to stop the herders’ attack on Benue communities.
Represented by his deputy, Barr. Sam Ode, the governor, expressed sadness over the untimely deaths and described the attack and killing of farmers in the area as abnormal.
He explained that security is not an individual business but a collective one and charged residents of the community to always remain vigilant with a view to protecting themselves and reporting any suspicious movement to security agents.
While urging the community through their traditional rulers to create a security outfit and present to the state government for inauguration with the sole responsibility of protecting their community against further attacks, the governor assured them to put into consideration all the request presented by their various leaders for onward reaction.
Earlier, the member representing Gwer East in the Benue State Assembly, Elias Audu, lamented why the emergency aircraft displayed by the Nigeria Air Force recently inaugurated by the vice president for prompt intervention in such cases were not used and tasked the state government to carry out an investigation on the matter.