Benue declares curfew as protesting youths raze INEC, LG buildings

There was a violent protest across some areas on the Ayati-Sai Road in the Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State, on Wednesday, as youths protested incessant killings in the area.

The protest followed the killing of 11 residents of the area by bandits on Tuesday night.

Earlier on Monday, three persons from the Agagbe Internally Displaced Persons camp were also killed while returning from the farm, in a renewed attack by suspected armed herders.

The protesting youths, who stormed the council secretariat in Zaki Biam, the headquarters of the Ukum LGA, destroyed valuables and razed the local government secretariat.

The office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in the LG was also set ablaze.

The INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, said in a statement that while no casualties were reported, the damage to the building was extensive.

He said office furniture, 10 generators, 300 ballot boxes, and 270 voting cubicles were among the items destroyed in the attack.

 “The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Benue State, Prof. Sam Egwu, has reported that our Local Government Area office in Sankara, headquarters of Ukum Local Government Area, has been attacked and burnt down.

“The incident occurred at 2 pm today, Wednesday 3rd July 2024, when the youths in the area were said to be protesting against the activities of bandits who attacked facilities of government agencies, including INEC,” Olumekun said.

The violent protest made Governor Hyacinth Alia to, on Wednesday afternoon, declare a dusk-to-dawn curfew on the troubled Ukum LGA.

The Deputy Governor, Sam Ode, who represented the governor at the press briefing in Makurdi, said the curfew arose as a result of the protest.

The governor said, “The government of Benue State was surprised with the grave security situation in the Ukum LGA of the state, which has led to the breakdown of law and order, leading to wanton destruction of government property and threats to lives.

“Arising from this situation and the need to protect the lives and property of all Benue citizens, especially those who are in the Ukum LGA and Sankera general area, the Governor of Benue State, Rev Fr Hyacint Alia, whom I have the honour to represent at this press briefing, has directed that with effect from 3 pm today, being 3/7/2024, there will be a curfew in and around Ukum for 24 hours to tomorrow 3 pm. Thereafter, the curfew will be from 6 pm to 6 am daily until further notice.”

A resident of Ayati village, who spoke to our correspondent on the phone, said the protest was triggered by the killing of 11 people by bandits on Tuesday night.

Ukum LGA is a flashpoint of criminality in the state, with frequent killings and kidnappings by local militiamen.

The source, who did not want to be named for fear of attack, said, “You know how volatile the local government has been.

“There is hardly a day we don’t experience killings and kidnapping in this council. Unfortunately, the state government has not shown any seriousness in tackling these daily killings.

“Tuesday night, the bandits invaded Ayati village and killed several people, by the time youths recovered 11 corpses, it triggered angst and subsequently, they stormed the road and protested the killings.

“Some of the youths also went to the council secretariat with the recovered corpses to vent their anger and smashed windows and destroyed things there.”

When contacted, the Chairman of Ukum LGA, Victor Iorzaa, could neither confirm nor deny the report.

“I am not in a position to speak on that now,” he said and cut the call.

Though the state police command’s spokesperson confirmed the protest, she said she was yet to get its cause.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Internal Security, Joseph Har, said bandits were responsible for the killing.

“Yes, they are protesting because of the killings in the area. We don’t have the details yet but bandits are responsible.

“They are protesting and threatening to burn down the LG Secretariat but they are aware that the state government has dislodged these bandits.

“So what the bandits just did is what we call in security parlance, ‘the last kick of a dying horse.’

“Just a few days ago, there was massive destruction of their camps in Katsina-Ala. So this is their last kick. They have been dislodged and are trying to vent their anger on the armless people and possibly cause confusion in the towns.

“I have spoken to the leader of the youth and I told them to be patient. The government is going to sustain the momentum. We will not be deterred by the killings but we will sustain the heat and pressure on them so they can be degraded completely,” he said.

Speaking on the death of the three displaced persons, a former camp manager of Agagbe internally displaced persons camp, Terna Jacob, told our correspondent that the deceased three farmers were among inmates in the IDP camp at Agagbe who engaged in farming as the rainy season set in, only to be killed while returning to the camp from the farm on Monday evening.

“The deceased, identified as Mr Ameeya Solomon (38 years) of Tse Kuan in the Mbabuande council ward, Mr Adagu Terwas (40 years) of Tse Abua in the Mbapa council ward and Master Orkaha Terkende (16 years) of Tse Maihwa in the Mbabuande council ward, were killed on the road as they were coming from their farms to Agagbe town,” Jacob said.

He added that an escapee, an elder brother to the 16-year-old Terkende killed by the herdsmen, narrated that they were ambushed by suspected herders close to NKST Church at Tse Nyamti on their way home from the farm.

 According to Jacob, the three victims were unlucky as they ran into the hands of the marauders, while others fled in other directions to escape.

Two of the deceased were said to have been buried while the remains of the third person had been deposited at a morgue in Agagbe.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Catherine Anene, said she had yet to receive the report.