By Amos Aar
THE BENUE State Commissioner of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Hon. Aondowase Kunde, has denied an allegation levelled against him that he threatened to deal with the people of Ukpute for alleged killing of a “war lord” from Bonta community in the renewed crisis between the two neighbouring communities.
Hon. Kunde, while denying the allegation, said he only asked for the head of a victim of the crisis from Bonta who was beheaded so that the corpse could be buried.
According to him, he made the request because Tiv people don’t bury their dead without a head, and that he made the appeal for the head in the presence of the state commissioner of police.
Hon. Kunde was accused by the youth leader of Ukpute community in Oju LGA of the state, Mr Mike Ubeh, who also alleged that the commissioner’s alleged threat re-ignited the recent violence between the two communities which reportedly consumed several lives and properties worth millions of naira.
Ubeh had, in a statement on July 29, 2024, raised alarm that genocide was looming in Benue State because of the alleged threat by Hon. Kunde, and called for urgent intervention by the federal and state governments to avert it.
The statement entitled: “GENOCIDE LOOMS IN BENUE STATE: ONLY URGENT INTERVENTION CAN SAVE THE SITUATION,” reads:
“Our outcry from Ukpute in Oju LGA of Benue State on the above subject on 16th July, 2024 yielded but only a temporary, short-lived reprieve when some concerned authorities facilitated the deployment of Mobile Police to prevent the Bonta Tiv militia from massacering [sic] Ukpute residents and its environs in Igede (Oju Local Government).
“Regrettably however, just a few days after the arrival of the security personnel, a more dangerous plan of genocidal proportion by the Bonta militias has been uncovered.
“Credible intelligence reveales [sic] that war lords and fighters are being mobilized by Bonta people to unleash mayhem on us during the upcoming national protest against hunger and bad governance when government’s attention would have been focused on the protests.
“The mobilisation for the attacks cuts across the 14 LGAs of Tiv speaking majority ethnic group in the State.
“The planned attacks are coming on the heels of the threats issued to us on 18th July, 2024 in Makurdi by a government official, Mr. Aondowase Kunde (Commissioner for Humanitarian & Disaster Mgt., Benue State) to the effect that they would deal with us for (allegedly) killing their “War Lord” who led one of the numerous attacks on the Igede minority ethnic group in Ukpute and it’s environs.
“We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), His Excellency, Governor Hyacinth Alia, the National Security Adviser, Inspector-General of Police, the DG – DSS, Distinguished Sen. Patrick Abba Moro, Rt. Hon. David Agada Ogewu, the International Community and Humanitarian Organizations, all well meaning Nigerians to come to our aid by stopping the Bonta Militia from annihilating us as planned.
“It will be recalled that same militia killed twelve soldiers including a Captain in cold blood in 2021 while on peace mission to the same area.
“It is no crime to be a minority tribe. We have no other State or place to relocate to; God didn’t make a mistake creating us as a minority tribe. Our life matters. Please, save our souls.”
The commissioner further refuted the allegation, asking: “Where did I threaten them? Is it possible to threaten somebody before the commissioner of police?
“Secondly, the man who was beheaded was not from Bonta community, he was even from another council ward, Iwarnyam, not Mbagusa/Mbatser council ward,” Kunde stated.
On the allegation that the man was killed when he went to war against Ukpute, Kunde said it is untrue. “The man was going on his own alone. Two of them ambushed him and killed him.
“They beheaded him and took away the head. So, I said before the commissioner of police that Tiv people don’t bury a trunk, they bury the body together with the head. So, if they agreed, they should bring that head for burial.
“It was a passionate appeal. I asked the commissioner of police to appeal to them to go and talk to their people so that they would bring that head for burial. We want peace and we always preach peace.
“This was in the commissioner of police’s office. So, is that a threat? What they are saying is not true,” the commissioner argued.
