SAN FRANCISCO, April 25, (THEWILL) – The Benue State government has declared that the state is under siege, following the latest attack in which several persons were killed.
THEWILL recalls that suspected armed herdsmen invaded a Catholic Church in Ayar-Mbalom community in Gwer East Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday, killing two Catholic priests and 17 worshippers.
Hours after the incident occurred, the Deputy Governor of the state, Benson Abounu, visited the scene of the attack, alongside the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Fatai Owoseni, and other government officials.
“We are under siege and I do believe that this has gone beyond the normal herdsmen-farmers crisis,” Abounu said while briefing reporters.
“What we are having at the moment is an attack by insurgents and these insurgents could come from any source, any background.
“This is a new dimension of attack and it has never happened before.”
Abounu, who is presently the Acting Governor as Samuel Ortom, the state Governor is on vacation, urged the Federal Government and the security agencies in the country to treat the continued killing of innocent citizens in the state as “a very grave and serious matter”, as it gone beyond the crisis between herdsmen and farmers.
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