…urges security to arrest and bring perpetrators to book
The Turan People’s Assembly (TUPA) have expressed shock and bewilderment at the recent attacks unleashed by suspected armed herdsmen on the Ichembe community of Kumakwagh ward in Jato-Aka and Mbaigbe communities in Kwande local Government Areas of Benue State.
According to a statement signed by Comrade Sekpen Michael Aondohemba, TUPA General Coordinator, the attacks were unwarranted and unleashed on innocent people who are already poor, deprived and traumatised.
The rest of the statement reads:
It is with a very deep heart that we wish you wholeheartedly condemn these rounds of attacks in their entirety, which have left many of our kinsmen dead and major others injured or unaccounted for, at the moment.
While the attack on Ichembe in Jato-Aka led to the death of 7 persons, the attack also sadly and unfortunately led to the burning down of properties worth millions of naira.
Those who allegedly lost their lives include:
1. Tersugh Justin Iorliam
2. Tersoo Samu
3. Ngolo Ndera
4. Ternenge Asaku
5. Udoji Penda and 7 other yet-to-be-identified persons.
Before these attackers unleashed their fangs of terror on these hitherto peaceful communities, many people had raised early warning alarms on the influx of thousands of herdsmen into the River bank areas of these communities and called on the security agencies to intervene but to no help came from that direction thereby leaving our helpless, poor, innocent and oppressed people vulnerable.
Considering the destruction that accompanied these attacks, there is no doubt that there is a deliberate ploy to disturb the peace of the Turan people and throw the community into yet another round of bloodshed which went unchallenged throughout the number of hours it lasted.
We are thoroughly pained that these suspected herdsmen have continued to terrorise these communities despite the alarm raised by MUE TER CHIEF SIMON BAVER. TUPA wants to emphatically stress that indicates that there may be a force that is irrevocably committed to undermining the rule of law to provoke another bout of violence in our ancestral homeland.
As an interest group representing the interests of all the Turan people, both at home and abroad, we view the renewed onslaught against these communities as a scheme aimed at decimating them and gradual entrenchment of anarchy on the people of Turan.
While condoling with the families of the victims, their circle of friends, well-wishers and all well-meaning people, we are compelled to use this unholy period of grief to call on all concerned authorities to come to our rescue so that we may not be dragged to taking the law into our hands. We have, for too long, constrained ourselves and this should not be taken to be an act of cowardice or timidity. We are peace-loving people and don’t want to be pushed to the wall.
Those who are either vertically or horizontally placed into positions of authority should immediately swing in by giving the perpetrators of these dastardly acts a hot chase, fish them out and bring them to justice. This is the only way the souls of our innocent loved ones would find eternal.
