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By Our Reporter, Lafia
Benue State socio-political group, under the auspices of Igede Youth Council in collaboration with Igede Women Congress says it will stage a national protest against Gov Hyacinth Alia of Benue State for his continuing silence over sustained attack by Bonta militias on Ukpute community in Oju Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
This is contained in a press statement by Andyson – Iji Egbodo, President, Igede Youth Council, and made available to newsmen in Lafia.
According to the statement, other interest groups to participate in the said protest are the Association of Igede Media, Association of Lawyers in the conflict zone and the Igede Medical and Health Professionals Union.
The statement explained that the Protest and World Press Conference was among other things to voice out displeasure over continued attacks on the Ukpute Community and its environs in Oju by Bonta Militias of Konshisha LGA of Benue State.
It further stated that it is the only option to draw the attention of the Federal Government and International Community to the oppression and injustice going on in Benue state, particularly in Oju.
The statement read in parts, “The Governor, who initially was against such dastardly acts has obviously been overwhelmed by ethnic pressures urging him not to re-establish the already-known boundary between the two LGAs which has been the bane of peace for several decades.
“But when a similar crisis happened at Ukum LGA at about the same time, the Governor, without pretext, immediately sent heavily armed security personnel, imposed a 24-hour curfew, and thereafter constituted a Committee of Enquiry to unravel the remote and immediate causes of the crisis.
“All letters, phone calls, text messages, and other forms of communication to the Governor and security agencies in the State to prevent, and now to stop the crisis were ignored.
“The leaders of the affected communities have cried out to us that the Security Adviser to the Governor visited Bonta for an on-the-spot assessment of the crisis on 7th August 2024 but refused to visit and see the extent of destruction at Ochoro and other communities to balance up the assessment”.
The statement says the Ukpute community and the surrounding settlements are perplexed as to the sincerity and commitment of the State Government to restore peace in their land as no security has been deployed to the aggressor community, Bonta to stop them from the daily invasion.
“It is in light of the foregoing that we hereby give you notice that there will be a national protest and world press conference at Abuja on a date to be announced soon,” the statement said.
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