The Benue State Government on Tuesday conducted a mass burial for 17 victims of Mbaikyor, Gwer East Local Government Areas (LGAs) armed herders attack.
It was reported that armed herdsmen had on March 7, attacked Mbaikyor community and killed no fewer than 17 persons, including a retired WO2 Army officer and a boy.
Speaking during the burial at Mbaikyor, Mbalom, Gwer- East, Gov. Hyacinth Alia said the solution to the incessant attack on farmers by armed herdsmen was the formation of vigilante groups.
Represented by his Deputy, Sam Ode, Alia condemned the brutal killings of the people in strong terms.
He said the Benue government was committed to the protection of lives and property of all citizens.
“Today is a sad day in the history of Benue State; to line up caskets like this is unacceptable. I am so sad and my heart is heavy to behold this kind of sight that shouldn’t have happened.”
“Security is not for government alone because there is no one that can protect you like yourself.
”You need to have a Joint Security Taskforce or vigilante groups that would be properly profiled and handed over to government to handle them. That is the solution to the insecurity we are facing in the state,” he said.
He pledged to construct the rural road that passed through the axis to ease the movement of security agencies to the area in times of emergencies, adding that the community also needed a police station.
Gov Alia further promised to meet with with families of the bereaved after the burial and also prayed against reoccurrence of such incident.
Earlier, Mr Elias Audu, member, Benue House of Assembly (BNHA) representing Gwer- East State Constituency lamented that in spite of the availability of fighter jets in the country to tackle such incidents, security agencies did not live up to their responsibilities.
Audu further advised that the relevant security agencies should be reprimanded because they failed to intervened in the crisis using the available fighter jets in their disposal adding that the attack lasted for over 3 hours.
He, however, commended Gov Alia for all he has done since the attack including the distribution of relief materials for Easter to the victims’ families.
The lawmaker also conveyed to the bereaved families, the condolences of the Speaker, BNHA, Aondona Dajoh, and his delight that Gov Alia was working towards arresting insecurity in the state.
Meanwhile, the President of Masev Development Association (MDA) Prof. Vitalis Tarhule, said the primary responsibility of government was the protection of lives and property and appealed to the government to endeavor to protect the people at all times.
Tarhule said that similar attacks had occured in 2014, 2018 and 2024 within the axis resulting to about 40 deaths adding that there was need to establish a security post in Mbaikyor to check the unwholesome activities of armed herders.
According to reports, in 2018 the armed herdsmen attacked and killed two priests and 16 parishioners during a morning mass within the same axis.
Also, the Chairman, Association of Mbaikyor sons in diaspora, Mr Simon Kofi said the community had apprehended two herders and handed them over to the Police following their nefarious activities.
Kofi explained that their crime was that they told the herders not to come back to the community again, a situation which prompted the attack on his kinsmen.
An interdenominational service was conducted for the victims.