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From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
Youths from Ugbokpo, headquarters of Apa Local Government Area of Benue State on Friday blocked the Otukpo/Oweto/Abuja Federal Highway while protesting the incessant killings of their people by suspected herdsmen.
Our correspondent gathered that the killing of over 52 people by suspected herders within the Benue South Senatorial District in the past three days, particularly in Apa and Otukpo LGAs of the state, irked the protesters.
On Monday, April 2, 2023, three people were reportedly killed at Igbobi in Apa LGA, while 49 persons were massacred on Tuesday and Wednesday by the herders in Umogidi in Entekpa ward of Otukpo LGA.
A source from the community, who doesn’t want to be named said the youths blocked the highway around 10 am on Friday, disrupting vehicular movement for hours, as they refused to be cleared except they were addressed by relevant authorities.
A resident who identified himself as Adah Ocholi said: “Commuters coming from the southern part of the country and heading towards Abuja and those coming from Abuja and heading to Otukpo and southern part of the country were stranded for hours.
Confirming the protest, Chairman of Apa LGA, Patricia Amali, said the protest was peaceful until hoodlums later hijacked it.
Mrs. Amali said that the situation would have gotten out of hand but for the prompt intervention of security operatives.
Speaking to journalists on phone, Amali said: “Yes, there was a protest by some youths in Ugbokpo this morning because of the killings in our area.
“Initially, the protest was peaceful but along the line, things changed and this made me to involve policemen and soldiers who later dispersed them.”
Meanwhile, Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, has called on residents to be calm and vigilant to ward off such attacks in future.
Ortom made the call at Adoka Centre, where he visited the displaced person from the attack and also at Umogidi, the scene of the killings.
Governor Ortom, who was represented by his deputy, Benson Abounu, in company of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Lt. Col. Paul Hemba (rtd), took a tour of the deserted community, where they were shown fresh graves of those killed by the herdsmen.
