Motorists stranded as Benue residents protest rising insecurity

Angry residents of Otukpo and its environs in Benue State blocked the Otukpo/Enugu federal highway on Tuesday to protest the rising insecurity in the Local Government Area.

The protesters were chanting, “We no go gree! We no go gree,” even as they demanded urgent action from the government and security agencies.

The development left motorists and passengers stranded as vehicular movement was disrupted.

Security personnel, including soldiers and police officers, deployed to disperse the crowd were unsuccessful as the defiant youths refused to back down.

An indigene of Otukpo, who identified himself simply as Dan, told PUNCH Metro that the youths turned out in large numbers to protest the rising cases of robbery, killings, and kidnappings in the area.

He said, “From the beginning of this year, there has been an increase in robbery, kidnapping and killings in Otukpo, particularly, the Asa community and the government is not doing anything to stop the insecurity.

“Last week, gunmen invaded the Asa community and raided nearly all the houses, robbed them of their belongings and kidnapped a woman.

“Just yesterday (Monday), a man known as Akatu Onche was killed in his house by gunmen and since these things are happening unabated, the people decided to come out today and vented their grievance.”

Another protester, who simply gave her name as Madam Christy, called for decisive action from the government.

She said, “The state government has to consider deploying more security operatives in Otukpo and environs to address the insecurity in this local government.”

When contacted, the Otukpo Local Government Area chairman, Maxwell Ogiri, said he was in a security meeting.

“Sorry, I am in a security meeting right now and cannot talk,” he replied to PUNCH Metro.

The chairman, however, added that the roadblock mounted by the protesting youths had been cleared by the security personnel.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, Catherine Anene, said the protest had been brought under control.

Speaking on the insecurity in the area, Anene said the Otukpo Area Commander recently held a stakeholders’ meeting in the town and came out with measures to tackle insecurity in the area.

Anene said, “It was a peaceful protest and the situation has been brought under control.

“On the insecurity in the area, the Area Commander recently met with stakeholders and discussed measures to tackle it in the town.

“Last week, there was an operation and our men engaged the bandits in one of the forests and were able to rescue 11 kidnap victims, though the bandits escaped.”

The command’s spokesperson assured the people that there were enough officers in Otukpo to combat the marauding bandits.