Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has promised to ensure that a military post is established in Abaji to prevent further attacks from bandits against farmers in Anyiase, Abande, Nundugh, and other communities in Kwande Local Government Area of the state.
The governor also directed the commissioner of police, Emmanuel Adesina, to back up the police station in Jato Aka with fifty more police personnel for a swift response.
The governor stated this on Wednesday when he visited and donated relief materials to hundreds of displaced persons in six council wards in Kwande LGA.
The communities were reportedly attacked by bandits suspected to be armed herders recently.
Represented by the deputy governor, Sam Ode, the governor assured the people that his administration would not fold her hands and watch bandits kill, destroy, and take over their communities.
The governor said, “This administration will ensure that a military post is established in Abaji to prevent the bandits from attacking farmers in Anyiase, Abande, and Nundugh.
He said the boundary demarcation around Benue, Taraba, Cameroon, Ebonyi, and Nasarawa would commence next month; this, he said, would serve as a non-kinetic approach to tackling the insecurity situation in the state.
The Secretary to the State Government, Professor Joseph Alakali, and Chairman, Kwande LGA, Rev. Mark Hule, informed the people of the governor’s commitment to their welfare and further assured them that the government was making frantic efforts to resolve the issue once and for all.
He assured the people of Turan and Ikyurav Ya that the police are on top of the situation. Commissioner of Police, Benue State Police Command, Emmanuel Adesina, said two bandits were killed, one arrested, and weapons recovered from them.
The paramount ruler of the area, Ter Kwande, Chief Timothy Ahire, appreciated the governor’s visit and lamented that the markets in Anyiase Abande, Nundugh, and Abaji were no longer witnessing patronage due to attacks by herdsmen militia.
The Executive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Sir James Iorpuu, assured the people of the agency’s continuous supply of food and non-food items to cushion their suffering.
ALSO READ THESE TOP STORIES FROM NEWSNGR.COM.NG