Again, soldiers arrest monarch in Benue, set palace ablaze

The Nigerian Army Friday invaded the Palaces of two traditional rulers in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue, arrested a Second Class Chief, His Royal Highness Utambe Azer Nyagba and set his palace ablaze.

According to one Elder Iorngaem Kerepe, a community leader resident in Igbongom, a town close to the palace, the invasion was without any provocation.

“Military men stormed the palace of His Royal Highness Chief Utambe Azer Nyagba in Nyagba Village, Tsaav-Ucha, In Ukum Local Government around 4:00pm, ransacked his palace and took him away,” local online news platform, GrassrootsAfrica quoted Elder Kerepe as saying.

Witnesses said the soldiers who came from Kente, and Wukari Local Government Areas in Taraba State without any provocation after searching the palace, set the palace ablaze as he lost property worth millions of naira including 2000 yams, bags of rice, corn, as well as other valuables.

In a related development, it is learnt that in the early hours of Saturday, 24th April, 2021, executed the same strange mission in the house of the District Head of Lumbuv Chief Teran Kwaghbo, in a neighborhood Council Ward. Witnesses said they searched the house, destroyed all doors and windows in his house, carted away yam tubers in hundreds, goats, sheep and chicken and went back.

It is further learnt that the monarch was not at home when the military invaded his residence. They however proceeded to Zaki-Biam where they invaded his second house, caused destruction in search for the monarch but could not find him.

At press time soldiers were still in his Zaki-Biam house for reasons best known to them.