Benue Killings: Suswam, Ayua, others condole with Catholic community over killings of two priests, others

Former Governor Gabriel Suswam and a former speaker, Benue State House of Assembly, Terhile Ayua, on Wednesday condemned the killings of 16 worshippers in the state on Tuesday.
They also conveyed their condolences to the Catholic Church and the people of the state over the killings of two priests and 14 other worshippers by alleged herdsmen during mass on Tuesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Rev. Frs Joseph Gor and Felix Tyolaha, were killed by herdsmen while celebrating mass at the St Ignatius Quasi parish, Ukpor, Mbalom in Gwer Local Government Council of the state.
Suswam, a former governor of the state, in a statement he personally signed said the killings were becoming a recurring decimal with the usual condemnations after which nothing would happen.
He regretted that the attackers carried out their heinous crimes on the unsuspecting victims without the slightest provocation and described the attacks as “barbaric”.
Suswam said: “Words fail me to convey my feelings of grief at this sad occurrence, neither can another mere condemnation of such a dastardly heinous act suffice.
“It is becoming a tragic routine to witness those killings and issue condemnation to them, after which they continue.”
He said no human society could continue to hold for long such killings and decried the low esteem with which herdsmen valued human lives.
Also, the former speaker of the state House of Assembly, Terhile Ayua, advised the people of Mbalom not to lose faith in their God.
Ayua who recalled that the people had suffered similar attacks in the past called on the state government to step up security in the area to forestall its recurrence.
Also, Polycarp Aande, the president of Masev Progressive Assembly, a socio-cultural organisation called on Governor Samuel Ortom-led administration to provide security for the residents of the state.
Similarly, the former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, described the killings as “devilish and callous acts” and sued for a united front to end the attacks.
He said the attacks were a deliberate attempt to cause religious disharmony in the society.
Tsav called on security agencies to “wake up to their responsibilities to nip the attacks in the bud”.
The ex-police boss also advised the residents of the state to be security conscious by reporting suspicious characters to the police.
He, however, warned them against any forms of reprisal attacks.