The Acting Governor of Benue State, Mr. Benson Abounu, on Wednesday, raised a fresh alarm of impending attacks on Benue communities.
Abounu said security reports made available to him had indicated that large numbers of armed mercenaries had occupied the Benue Valley and were planning to launch simultaneous attacks on five major Benue communities.
About six local government areas of the state had at one time or more been attacked by Fulani herdsmen since New Year’s Day.
Some of the council areas that have suffered attacks include Guma, Logo, Okpokwu, Makurdi, Agatu and Kwande LGAs.
Speaking with newsmen on Wednesday on the planned attacks, the acting governor disclosed that from the reports he had received, the mercenaries had already identified and occupied five different locations and communities along the riverine areas of the state waiting to launch possible attacks simultaneously.
The acting governor, who disclosed this shortly after he came out of the State Executive Council Meeting held at the Government House in Makurdi, noted that the situation was very pathetic.
He called for urgent attention and immediate action by the Federal Government to safeguard the lives and property of Benue people and other citizens residing in the state.
“We have received security reports which indicated that large numbers of armed mercenaries have moved into the Benue Valley and had mapped out five different locations in Benue State to launch possible attacks on five major communities in the state simultaneously.
“This development is absolutely worrisome and unhealthy to our state and we condemn it in totality. The reports further showed that the mercenaries would be carrying out their nefarious attacks on those communities occupied by people around the riverine areas of the state.
“ Since we got this report, we have never rest on our oars. I have been meeting with all the heads of security formations in the state for us to find ways of stopping these people,” Abounu stressed.
He appealed to the Federal Government, to as a matter of urgency, deploy more security personnel in the state and around all the border communities so as to protect those living along the bank of the River Benue.
Meanwhile, the Benue State Executive Council, on Wednesday, approved and directed immediate release of N70m to the state Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to procure teaching and learning materials for thousands of Internally Displaced Persons in the state.
The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Lawrence Onoja Jr., who disclosed this at the end of the state executive council meeting presided by the Abounu, said the council approved another N120m as counterpart funds for water projects in the state.