THE DOMA EDITORS CONDEMN KILLINGS IN BENUE, SUGGEST WAY OUT
By Ruth Omosayin
The nauseatingly historical killings in Benue communities by suspected terrorists also known as “killer herders’’ assumed a monumental proportion penultimate Easter Celebration with Umogidi village, Guma and Agan IDP Camps attacked leaving scores dead.
The group has undertaken a thorough evaluation of this sustained violence against the peace-loving people of Benue State and wish to unequivocally condemn the brazen excommunication of lives by these suspected terrorists who masquerade as herders.
The association is particularly distrustful of the spread of these attacks to more communities in Benue South as the area is historically known to be peaceful, friendly and an excellent host of other Nigerians.
This group is taken aback by these well-orchestrated attacks that led to the death of 50 and injuries to other scores in Umogidi village at Adoka District of Otukpo Local Government Area.
We further condemn the unprovoked attacks on innocent displaced people in the IDP camps in both Guma and Agan communities in Makurdi. These dastardly acts of still killing defenceless and vulnerable people, including women and children in the IDP camps can only be carried out by blood thirsty demons.
The Governorship Election may have come and gone with a new governor elected, but we wish to advise the incumbent governor, Mr Samuel Ortom not to adjudicate his constitutional function of ensuring the safety of lives and property in the state until his last day in office.
We are not unaware of the enormous security challenge that has limited the progress and development of the state in the last eight years, but that should not stop the government from functioning optimally.
The editors wish to, however, thank Gov. Ortom for his several efforts at abating human carnage, hoping that the incoming governor, Rev. Fr Hyacinth Alia shall waste no time in resetting the security architecture to insulate the state from further external attacks.
The group therefore, call on the Federal Government to approve a special military exercise for the state where all suspected forests, mountains and other hidden zones in and around the state shall be flushed. It is surprising that Benue, blessed with a plethora of military formations, remains unsafe for habitation.
Adoyi M. Aba
Ag President