Benue State has been plagued by recurring violent attacks, kidnappings, and killings, often attributed to armed herdsmen, leaving residents in a state of fear and insecurity.
Disturbed by the incessant and unprovoked killings in the various communities in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, the Chairman Hon. Maxwell Ogiri has warned that the council would no longer want strangers in their bushes and forests.
Addressing a group of journalists in his office in Otukpo, the Council Chairman said the warning was a deliberate measure to prevent the incessant and unprovoked killings of the residents in the local government area.
He lamented that within few days, bandits have attacked different communities and killed many persons and wounded several others, who were receiving treatment at different health facilities.
Hon. Ogiri urged opinion leaders, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to unite in addressing the persistent insecurity, expressing confidence that a collective approach would produce a lasting solution to the wave of killings in the area.
The council chairman also suggested that residents could temporarily forgo the consumption of beef if it would help restore peace.
He noted that just as people in some parts of the country do not consume pork and no one forces its sale in those areas, residents of Otukpo could also make similar sacrifices in the interest of security.
He expressed optimism that the peace for which the ancient town of Otukpo was once known would eventually be restored, allowing residents to return to their normal social and economic activities.
Speaking further, Ogiri observed that people from different ethnic and socio-cultural backgrounds had coexisted peacefully in Otukpo Local Government for many years without posing a threat to the indigenous population.
He, however, lamented that the security challenges allegedly linked to armed Fulani attackers had become increasingly unbearable.
The chairman appealed to residents across the local government to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons or movements to security agencies.
According to him, timely information would enable the authorities to respond swiftly and help prevent further unprovoked attacks and killings in the area.
