By Amos Aar
FIVE days after the Benue state police command dislodged a bandit’s hideout in Katsina-Ala local government in the Sankera crisis-stricken axis of Benue State, killing two bandits and recovering vehicles and arms, the criminals in the early hours of Wednesday in what appeared like a fight back, launched a deadly attack on Ayati, Borikyo community in Ukum local government area, killing over eleven (11) persons.
Provoked by the incident, irate youths who besieged the Sankera-Ayati-Sai road with eleven (11) corpses of the murdered victims to express their grief over the incessant killings in the community razed down Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office, the department of health in Ukum local government council, legislative chambers, other public structures.
Sankera is the name for the headquarters of Ukum local government council. It is also the name of the federal constituency comprising three local government areas; Ukum, Katsina-Ala and Logo.
Although the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Superintendent of Police (SP) Sewuese Anene who confirmed the Wednesday’s attack in a statement on Thursday said only 6 persons were killed by the bandits and a tactical security team has been deployed to the area to forestall further attacks, an eyewitness in Ukum who pleaded anonymity said over 20 persons were killed, blaming the attack on the government.
“They burnt legislative chambers and health department building at the secretariat. It’s simply ineptitude of government”, the source told our correspondent on Thursday.
The statement by the PPRO further indicated that the bandits attempted to burn down the police station in the area but were repelled by security operatives, adding that 18 suspects have been arrested in connection with the Wednesday attack.
The statement entitled: “violent destruction of properties in Ukum local government area, an attempt to resist security operations by criminals”, reads:
“On 3/7/2024 information was received from Ukum Police Division that suspected bandits had attacked a village in Ayati community of Ukum LGA where six persons were killed. Police teams were immediately deployed to prevent further attacks.
“It is worthy of note that Ukum is a boundary area between Benue and Taraba state which has been a turbulent area in the state. This turbulence increased after the death of the dreaded popular Gana and Ukum has attracted the highest deployment of security agents in the state. The deployment is made to curtail activities of bandits that are found in three LGAs; Ukum, Logo and Kastina-Ala collectively called Sankera axis.
“At about 0800hrs, violent protesters in hundreds began a protest obviously sponsored by criminals to unleash mayhem on the people and destabilize security network that has prevented them from operating freely in the area especially with recent successful operations that dislodged several bandit camps in the last two months.
“During this violent protest, personal and government properties were destroyed. These hoodlums also made an attempt to invade Ukum Police Division but were repelled by officers on guard duty.
“The Commissioner of Police, Benue state command, CP. Hassan Steve YabanetFCID, psc (+) has since moved to the area with tactical teams and heads of other security agents to forestall further breakdown of law and order.
“Eighteen suspects have been arrested and investigation is ongoing”.
Meanwhile, sources in Sankera have pointed accusing fingers on two indigenes ofUkum local government; a key appointee of Governor Hyacinth Alia and a federal lawmaker, as current sponsors of the banditry in the Sankera axis.
