Benue State House of Assembly
By TYAV SAM TYAV, Makurdi-
The Benue State House of Assembly has called on the state government to stop the incessant killings by cultists and other cult related activities in the North Bank area of Makurdi, the state capital.
Ruling on the motion by a member representing Makurdi North and the Deputy Majority Whip, Hon. Alfred Emberga Aondoaver the Speaker, Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh called on the state government to mobilize security agencies to stop the incessant killings.
Presenting the motion on Tuesday during plenary at the Benue State House of Assembly Hon. Aondoaver called on the state government to mobilize the relevant Security Agencies to investigate and stop the incessant killings of innocent people of the State by cultists particularly in North Bank axis of Makurdi.
The lawmaker lamented that Benue State has witnessed a rise in cultism and cult related activities in the 21st century as the educational institutions and communities especially, those in the urban centres became home to different confraternities.
Aondoaver noted that in response to the national call to check -mate cultism and remove it from the system, the Benue State House of Assembly on April, 27, 2017 passed the Abduction, Hostage – taking, Kidnapping, Secret Cult and Similar Activities (Prohibition) Law and the law became enforceable on 22nd May, 2017 with the Governor’s assent.
He informed the house that seven years after the passage of this law, cultism and cult related activities have continued unabated in different parts of the State particularly in the North Bank area of Makurdi where young boys of between 12 to 29 years are being recruited into different cult groups to cause mayhem and unsettle the peace in the area.
“Between January and August, 2024 about 50 lives have been lost in North Bank alone to cult – related attacks.
Only three weeks ago, a man was gunned down by cultists at a barber’s shop in North Bank where he came to have a haircut. The most recent incident occurred on Monday, 19th August, 2024 in the same North Bank area where Ten (10) people were hacked down under similar circumstances.” He maintained.
The lawmaker expressed worry that the ugly trend if not properly checked, the heinous and dastardly act of killing innocent people under the guise of cult clashes would continue to temper with the peace hitherto enjoyed by the people of North Bank settlement over the years and create panics in the minds of residence of the area.
Supporting the motion, Hon. Terwase Uche, member representing Makurdi North in the assembly accused the security agencies for compromising their core responsibility of the protection of lives and property.
He lamented that despite the establishment of the 72 Army barracks and the Nigeria School of Military Engineering (NASME), in the North Bank area, killing of innocent people of the area has persisted unhindered.
The House also resolved that the Benue State Police Command, Department of State Services and Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps should deploy more personnel for surveillance in North Bank known for notorious inter – cult clashes to check the incessant killings of the people on Yogbo road, Behind ECWA Secondary School, Lafia Junction and Vertinary Layout.
