‘We are tired of burying our youths’ – Owukpa community cries out as strange disease kills over 50 persons in Benue

Residents of Owukpa, an agrarian community in Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State have cried out to the federal government and the international community for help over the mysterious deaths currently ravaging their land.

So far, no fewer than 50 persons, especially youths have died in a mysterious way within the last three weeks.

The latest victim of the strange death is a 29-year-old Ameh Okoh James, a HND student of Benue State Polytechnic.

James died in Makurdi after a brief illness on Monday.

The deceased also served as Church Leader of St. Theresa Catholic Church, Ugbugbu Owukpa.

Owukpa is an ancient city, bordered by ‘big ego’ cities – among others, Ebonyi and Enugu States in the south.

Residents of the community are not happy that the state government is not doing enough to end the pestilence wiping out people in the land.

Speaking with IDOMA VOICE, a leader in the community, Simon Ochube, slammed the state and local government for not doing enough to salvage the situation.

“This is sad. The people don’t care about us. To tell you that the current local government chairman, the supervising commissioner for health even hailed from this community is amazing. They don’t care about us. Our youths keep dying like chickens every day.

“They only assumed it is yellow fever and asked everybody to come for vaccination. I was told those who died lately even took the vaccine and still died.
“This is no longer funny, just this week, over four persons have died in Ehaje Ward II. Angela in Atamaka, Idoko in Ugbugbu, Mrs. Ejeh in Ekere and now, this young man, James is gone. What is happening in our land?

“Will our leaders watch and allow the entire Owukpa wipe out?” Ochube lamented.

Also speaking, a community leader, Chief Idoko, said the government is not doing enough, he believes that “they know what to do. This thing started in Otukpa and it has almost ended. Ours is getting out of hand. Over 50 persons have died in a mysterious way in November alone.

“This is no longer funny. If the government is not ready to help, I call on our sons both at home and abroad to come to our aid. We need to know the root cause of the strange deaths. From my findings, yellow fever doesn’t kill like that. They just sat in Makurdi and assumed it is yellow fever. President Muhammadu Buhari, the Federal Ministry of Health, the World Health Organisation should come to our rescue. We are tired of burying our children.”

Also, a civil society group, Akatekwe United Forum, said they would be leading a protest to the Ministry of Health in Abuja to draw the attention of the international community to the development in Owukpa.

“We will be leading a protest to the Ministry of Health in Abuja this week. The international community needs to know this. Buhari needs to know this. Our people are dying and the state is not doing enough. They are playing politics with our lives.

“It all started in Otukpa and they were able to quell it. So, why is our own taking this long? A close mouth is a close destiny. We need to act fast before the entire community is wiped out,” Ekoja Austine, secretary of the forum told IDOMA VOICE.