Benue State is doubling down on its resolve to tackle the wave of killings linked to suspected Fulani herdsmen. Deputy Governor Barr Sam Ode gave this assurance while receiving a delegation from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) at the Government House in Makurdi, on behalf of Governor Hyacinth Alia.
The CAN team, led by its national Vice President Rev. Stephen Panya Baba, came to condole with the state over the repeated attacks that have left many dead and displaced.
During the visit, Barr. Ode extended the governor’s heartfelt appreciation for CAN’s show of solidarity, describing it as timely and meaningful in the face of such tragedy.
He didn’t mince words when he told the delegation: “We want to assure you that we are not going to abdicate our responsibility of providing security to safeguard the lives and properties of our citizens.”
Ode said the state is working hand-in-hand with federal agencies to stamp out the violence.
“Concrete measures have been put in place to avert further occurrences,” he said.
“We are working round the clock to secure the state. We are not going to surrender or submit to the antics of the enemy.
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We will continue to make use of government machinery at our disposal to put an end to the mindless killings in the state.”
Rev. Baba, who stood in for CAN President Archbishop Daniel Okoh, condemned the attacks and stressed the need for urgent federal intervention.
He used the occasion to send a clear appeal to the presidency: “to take deliberate measures to stop the killings in Benue.”
To offer more than words, CAN delivered relief materials to affected communities as a show of compassion.
The meeting also had in attendance top government aides, including Dr. Emmanuel Chenge, Principal Private Secretary to the Governor, and Apostle King David Ajav, Special Adviser on Religion and Society.
Is the security situation in Benue being handled with the urgency it demands?