By Peace Aboje
PROTESTING residents and people of Ortese Community of Benue State in the early hours of Friday blocked Abuja-Lafia-Makurdi dual carriageway following a night attack on the community by gunmen suspected to be herdsmen.
National Record’sreporter, who is among travellers affected by the logjam on the highway as a result of the protest, reports that gunmen allegedly attacked Ortese early last night, killing several people in an operation that lasted several hours up to 12pm.
After the gunmen had freely operate and left, the protesting residents of the community, which is said to be about 35 kilometres from Makurdi, Benue State capital, were said to have blocked the highway around 1a.m, Friday morning, with bodies of those killed by the gunmen.
National Record gathered that soldiers arrived the community hours after the invaders had left. The soldiers were however unable to calm the angry protesters from blocking the highway, which led to a gridlock that stretched several kilometres on both sides of the road.
The protest which was ongoing as at press time, had left thousands of commuters stranded, many since last night, with the villagers insisting that the government must come and address the issue before they leave the road.
Despite the intervention of the military, the indigenes have stood their ground insisting that the Benue State governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, must personally show up to address them. They chanted songs in Tiv language, which those who understand translated to mean: “Enough is enough” as they can’t continue to suffer killings and attacks from herdsmen, and that Fr. Alia should come and carry them to Congo where they come from.”
The governor was said to have delegated someone to address the villagers in the early hours of Friday morning sent someone to speak to the villagers on his behalf, but the villagers didn’t give him listening ears. While the women took to blocking the road, the youths took to blocking the streets and alternative routes within the community.
One of the soldiers told National Record that they got the information about the killings last night and intervened, but according to him they came quite late hence they could do little to nothing. He said the indigenes are angry with the government and with the military for not coming to their rescue.
Though our reporter could not ascertain the number of people killed, the villagers said their people were killed in their numbers and that they are no longer capable of enduring trauma of deadly attacks.
Some of the travellers trapped on the gridlock since early last night said the corpses of the slain villagers were lined up along the road, making it impassable.
The travellers though the corpses were removed this morning, but the protesting women had blocked the road with no vehicle allowed to pass.
