Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has revealed that 56 bodies have been recovered in Ugondo, Logo and Tyuluv, Gbagir in Ukum Local Government Areas following the coordinated attacks on the communities by suspected armed herdsmen.
He disclosed this when he visited Logo and Ukum LGAs on Saturday for an on-the-spot assessment of the area after attacks on Friday night.
Speaking to journalists after the inspection, the governor confirmed that so far 56 corpses have been recovered in Logo and Ukum after the attacks.
He said there was a possibility of the figure increasing in Ukum because search is still ongoing.
He regretted that his people were strategically attacked at the beginning of the farming season to hinder them from farming.
Alia said urgent action must be taken to address the ugly development.
He said: “Early hours of today, we understood that more bodies were being picked up in Logo LGA resulting to 27 corpses.
“So we lost 27 lives in Logo LGA.
“And then many more were picked up in some axis in Ukum and those for now are 29.
“Many more are surely expected because as we went there they were asking for some protection to get back to see how they can retrieve some bodies.
“So the numbers might even go up.
“So far, we are talking about 56 lives lost in just one night.
“This is quite devastating.
“The Federal Government’s support is very enormous.
“The security teams have been working seriously non-stop.
“But for this to still happen, something drastic, something strategic has to come to play.
“How can you explain that two months ago we came to this town and people were quite settled and overnight there were calculated, planned, targeted attacks.
“I’m calling on the Federal Government to support us, to come to our aid and promptly too.
“We simply need the support and help of the Federal Government immediately.”
Alia further commended the security agencies for their sacrifices to ensure that Benue State has peace, adding that there was every need for more reinforcements.
The governor sympathised with the families that lost their loved ones as a result of the attacks, and promised to take care of their burial and medical bills of those in the hospital.
The member representing Katsina-Ala/Ukum/Logo Federal Constituency, Prince Solomon Wombo, said though the military were in the constituency for 12 years, there were still attacks and killings.
Wombo lamented the insecurity situation in the area and appealed to the Federal Government to establish a military barracks in the area to protect his constituents from armed herdsmen and bandits.
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He said: “What borders me again is that we have soldiers in this axis for 12 years and the attacks have not abated at any point in time.”
The Chairman, Logo Local Government Council, Clement Ungwachikar and Mue Ter Ugondo, Chief Peter Iorhuna, thanked the governor for the swift response in coming to identify with them over the attacks.
The governor was accompanied by the heads of security agencies in the state, including the Police, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Operation Whirl Stroke, Homeland Security, and Civil Protection Guards.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the affected communities were deserted with armed police personnel seen patrolling in the LGAs.
NAN reports that those who fled the areas are now taking refuge in Zaki-Biam and Ugba IDP camps.
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