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From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
A progressive civil society organisation based in Benue state, Ede-Ma Development Association, (EDA), has lent its support to the efforts of other groups and community members to end cultism in Edumoga District of Okpokwu Local Government Area, (LGA), of Benue state.
The association, in a statement signed by its National President and Secretary, Michael Agbam and Mathew Oboyi, respectively, and made available to newsmen in Makurdi, lamented that the cult activities in the area have claimed the lives of over 10 youths while commercial activities have also been crippled.
They stated that the cult rivalry has permeated most communities in the area grounding social and economic lives in Ugbokolo Town and surrounding communities of Amejo and Okonobo wards in Edumoga District.
“We had restrained ourselves from making any public comment on this recent unfortunate cult violence. In this unwholesome cult rivalry, at least 10 youths were reported to have been brutally murdered while commercial activities in the axis were brought to a halt especially in Ugbokolo, Effoyo and Ichakwu, which remain the major economic hubs in Edumoga District.
“Our calm resolve not to immediately speak out was informed by the logic that doing so might be too pre-emptive without proper understanding of the underlying issues surrounding the violence, and of course, it could also be mistaken for outright bias.
“Secondly, we had also expected that the security agencies, especially the Nigerian Police Force, are fully on ground and therefore ought to have quickly respond to such open criminality to restore public order and confidence.
“This was however not the case in view of the litany of violence in which cult groups openly chase and hack perceived rivals to death in broad day light.
“We believe that the vacuum created by police inaction may have inspired protests that ultimately degenerated to mob actions by angry residents following the cult killings, which the Edumoga Youth Association (EYA) and Edumoga Youth Movement (EYM) eventually had to intercede and moderate to restore order.”
The Ede-Ma association commended the resolve of both EYA and EYM for their intervention which they said had ended the daily cult killings saying the strategic initiative to end the malaise of cultism in Edumoga land by enjoining the youth, community and traditional leaders in Amejo, Okonobo and Ugbokolo wards to take oath not to belong to any cult group was also commendable.
They opined that while the initiative or strategy of oath-taking to renounce cultism may not be fool proof, it is however a traditional method with proven capacity to eliminate or appreciably reduce the menace of cultism and other forms of criminality from Edumoga.
They enjoined especially the traditional rulers in Edumoga District to give their support and ensure that the exercise is conducted with utmost decorum and civility in line with our culture and tradition.
They stated that as a law-abiding and development-conscious organisation, they are calling on the Benue State Police Command to immediately release one John Audu who was arrest and remand, on allegations of “criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, acts of terrorism, mischief by fire and attempt to commit culpable homicide.”
“No doubt, this is an organised criminality which demands careful and dedicated professional investigative approach and not a hurried arrest and prosecution inspired by a character who is himself a prime suspect.
“We also call on the Benue State Government under Governor Hyacinth Alia to set up a probe panel to investigate and proffer solutions to the increasing cases of cultism, which we gathered, is very much alive in virtually all communities across the state.
“Ede-ma as a progressive civil society organisation believes that cultism, and indeed all forms of criminality and violence, in any part of the state, constitute danger to the security of lives and property, peace and prosperity everywhere,” they said.
