By Oboh Linus, Lafia
Benue Socio-Cultural Organisation, Omi Nyi’ Igede Youth Development Association Worldwide (ONYWDA) has called on Gov Hyacinth Alia to investigate the killing of the newlywed man and one other while en route to Makurdi via Awajir-Oju road.
The call is contained in a statement issued by its President, Comrade Cletus Aruta, and made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Lafia.
Aruta said the deceased, Uko Jonathan – Ogah who got married last Saturday and Ogoda Gabriel both members of ONYWDA and indigene of Oju LGA, were killed at Ulam axis of Gwer East LGA of Benue State by suspected Tiv militias while en route to Makurdi.
The statement said the killing, torture, and harassment of innocent Igede people plying Awajir-Oju road have been going on unabated in the last four months as a result of communal clashes between the Mbiese community of Gwer East and the Ugambe Community of Konshisha LGAs.
The statement read in parts, “It may interest you to know that over the last four months, innocent Igede people using Awajir-Oju road have been severely tormented, harassed, and extorted heavily by these militias on a daily basis to use the road.
“In most instances, they turned them back to use other routes where the Militias from Konshisha and Gwer East Local Government Areas mount several ambush checkpoints as a result of the ongoing communal clashes.
“So, we hereby call on the Executive Governor of Benue State, Dr Hyacinth Alia to direct his Chief Security Adviser, Joseph Har to at least build three to four Army checkpoints on that road to arrest the situation and put an end to the crisis.
“We also call on the Governor to direct the Benue State Commissioner of Police, CP Ifeanyi Innocent- Emenari Ph’D, to immediately deploy mobile police force to the area to arrest the militias.
“And carrying out a full-scale investigation into this dastardly act immediately and bring the perpetrators to face the full wrath of the law,”.
The group called on the Council Chairmen of Gwer East and Konsisha Local Government Areas Mr Adi Nyiakura and Mr Tarkaa Solomon to wade in and call the
militias from both sides to stop further killing and all forms of molestations on the Awajir-Oju road.
The group, while sending condolences to the family and the entire Igede, urged the youth to exercise restraint so as not to take the law into their hands, noting that representatives in government and critical stakeholders have begun intervention to ensure that justice is served.
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