Attack on Ebonyi communities: Benue Chairman refutes allegation of complicity against the Agila people of Benue State

The Chairman of Ado Local Government Area of Benue State, James Oche has said the people of Agila have no hand in the Monday morning attack on Ngbo communities of Ebonyi State.

The Chairman has also described as fallacy of hasty conclusion, the reports in the media credited to the Ebonyi State Government alleging that the people of Agila are behind the attack.

In a statement, the Chairman said, the victims themselves had said the attack was from herders and wondered why the Ebonyi State Government was bent on accusing his people even in the face of rumours making the rounds that the attack was a reprisal for the alleged killing of their cows.

The Chairman who spoke in Igumale the Headquarters of Ado Local Government yesterday said he was dismayed by the report in the Vanguard Newsonline where the Ebonyi State Government fingered the people of Agila as being responsible for the attack.

Oche said the people of Agila were peace loving and have since embraced the recommendations of the Otse Otokpa/Cyril Obazi Agila/Ngbo Intercommunity Peace and Security Committee formed by the governments of Ebonyi and Benue States and have been cooperating with the National Boundary Commission on the planned delimitation and rebeaconing exercise scheduled to hold within the axis.

He further noted that falsehood was not the solution to the problem as it would deteriorate the already tensed situation.

He urged the warring factions to sheath their swords & fully embrace the ongoing intercommunity peace initiative of Benue & Ebonyi States Government in the interest of peace, security and development of the area.

Finally, he sympathized with the the victims of the unfortunate attack and prayed Almighty God to comfort them in this very trying times.