Effort to get the Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene was unsuccessful at press time.
The escalating rival criminal gang war that is raging in Benue State, the death toll has now climbed to 25. The most recent fatalities occurred in Ayati Community, Ukum Local Government Area, Benue State, bringing the total number of casualties over the past three days to 25.
This crisis began over the weekend when Chito and Tyo Akosu communities in Ukum Local Government Area witnessed the tragic deaths of at least 22 individuals due to a violent confrontation between the ‘Chain Gang’ and ‘Full Fire’ groups.
Sources from the area, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that the conflict spilled over into Ayati on a fateful Sunday evening, resulting in the deaths of three more suspected gang members.
He said: “We learned that the attack in Ayati at a gathering which claimed three lives on Sunday evening was an extention of the fight that started at the weekend in Chito and Tyo Akosu. The fact is that no one knows who is who among our youths. And we cannot tell who is sympathetic to which group and who is not.
“That is why the fight is getting messier and they are killing human beings as if they are animals.”
Reacting to development, the lawmaker representing Ukum State Constituency in State House of Assembly, Mr. Ezra Nyiyongo, who lamented the worsening insecurity in his constituency said it was time the state government step up its strategy to address the situation.
“You are aware when the serving Commissioner for Information, Matthew Aboh was picked. One of our elder statesmen was picked and he later died in their hands. So, we have been having these reoccurences. You will hear that today, 24 people were killed, other times 11 and it keeps on happening every other day.
“You will sympathize with my people in Ukum and by extension Benue State. We as a government need to step up our strategy. I am particularly pained and I believe the government is looking into it critically. At my end, the options I have are limited for now but I think I will meet with the Executive over the matter.
“As a legislator, I have reported to my Speaker and we will take it up with the Governor and I believe we will have a headway sooner or later. I believe the governor during our electioneering campaigns promised to do everything to bring peace, even if it means bringing the carrot approach to the so-called boys in the bush.
“And I believe that it will take time because you have to start planning on where do you take them to and if the Federal Government accepts to forgive them, all is a process which I believe is ongoing. In the interim, I feel pained and sometimes I am ashamed because if it were external aggressors that are attacking us, then you can say there is breakdown of law and order but here we have a case where same brothers from the same mother and father pointing guns at each other, who is going to report who? This is the situation I am facing. It is devastating. It is really terrible.”
Effort to get the Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene was unsuccessful at press time.
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