Benue: Group Condemns Renewed Killings In Sankera, Seeks Arrest Of Culprits

A Sankera-based peace advocacy group in Benue State has deplored last weekend’s unprovoked attacks by suspected armed herdsmen on the Mbagena community in Mchihe council ward of Katsina-Ala local government area of Benue State.

Eleven persons were reportedly killed and many others injured, just as property, estimated at several millions of naira, was destroyed during the attacks in the area by some criminal elements determined to disrupt the level of peace achieved by security agencies, particularly internal military outfit, Operation Whirl Stroke in Benue State.

The group, operating as Sankera Peace and Development Forum (SAPEDEF), while describing the dastardly act as despicable, barbaric, callous and wicked, thanked security agencies, particularly Operation Whirl Stroke, for prompt response to the scene of the attacks, to halt the ugly act by the invading marauders.

It noted the timely response and professionalism displayed by men of the military outfit whenever there are incidents in the state, saying the feat displayed at Sankera was commendable.

Reacting to the ugly development through its national president, Dr. Paul Gbande and national secretary, Barr. (Mrs) Doshima Vembe, respectively, SAPEDEF, while extending condolences to the bereaved families, the affected communities and the Government of Benue State, charged security agencies to go all out in fishing out the culprits and their sponsors to face justice.

Noting that the level of brutality was deeply troubling, SAPEDEF called on the people of the area to remain calm, expressing its unflinching confidence in the security agencies to expose those behind the act and subsequently bring them to justice.

SAPEDEF, while clarifying that it was not a political group, commended the governor of Benue State, Rev. Father Hyacinth Alia, for his efforts in securing the life and property of Benue people as a whole. It appealed to him to remain steadfast in the midst of political and calculated blackmail by some political opponents in the state.

The group also commended the Catholic Bishop of Katsina Ala Archdiocese, Most Rev. Isaac Bundepuun Dugu, for launching the Sankera Peace Initiative Panel to brainstorm and find solutions on how bandits may be approached, how the chiefs may be involved, and how some succour may return to the Sankera area and possibly to some part of Wukari Diocese in Taraba State that shares a boundary with Benue.

The peace advocacy group called on the sons of the area to close rank with the governor of Benue State with a view to restoring peace and secure lives in Sankera, in particular, and Benue State at a large.

The group described the renewed attacks in the Sankara axis as criminal acts laced with political intent to undermine Governor Alia’s government in Benue State and insisted that the people of the area must begin to see beyond by rising against activities of the bandits whom they, unfortunately, see as heroes of the area.

“Intelligence at our disposal clearly reveals that these bandits, who go by the following names: Mathew, Chen, Full Fire, Overall Konyo, and Anyogo, are directly or indirectly behind the recent brutal attacks in the Sankera general area.

“As reliably gathered, the Katsina-Ala attack was orchestrated by Overall Konyo and his Fulani collaborators. He led the marauding Fulani herdsmen to attack the community for his selfish interest,” the group said.