The Benue state governor-elect, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, on Friday condemned what he described as the “brutal killing of innocent lives” in Umogidi community of Entekpa-Adoka district in Otukpo local government area of the state.
Forty six people including a police officer and a son of the Otukpo local government chairman were brutally murdered on Wednesday by suspected herdsmen at Umogidi a community in Otukpo local government area.
Barely 24 hours after the attack that led to the killing, the same village, an Idoma-speaking community in the state, suffered an attack by the suspected herdsmen and three people were killed.
In a sympathy message, Alia condoled with the families of the deceased and called on the Umogidi community and the Benue people as a whole to remain calm and law-abiding amidst their sorrows and pains.
He called on the security agencies to conduct surveillance to identify the perpetrators behind the killings and ensure that peace was restored in the communities.
Fr. Alia assured the Umogidi community and others affected by the attacks of his resilience to work with relevant security agencies and communities in the state to stop the senseless killings when he is sworn in as the next governor of the state on May 29, 2023.
He expressed sadness over the killings and called on the government at all levels to be more proactive to quell the insecurity challenges in the state and stay close to the bereaved families in their trying times.
