Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has announced the formation of a committee to investigate the underlying causes of the recent destruction of the Gwer West Local Government Secretariat, the Ter-Tyoshin palace, and several private properties in Naka town.
He made this known during a visit to the affected area on Thursday.
The visit was to assess the extent of the damage, which was reportedly caused by protesters reacting to persistent herdsmen attacks in the area.
Alia condemned the acts of destruction and urged residents to trust his administration’s efforts to curb the ongoing security crisis.
He assured the people that the government was working tirelessly to restore peace and prevent further violence.
The governor also issued a stern warning to any member of the community found to be collaborating with external aggressors, emphasizing that the law would take its full course against those involved.
In a remark during the visit, Ter-Tyoshin, Chief Daniel Abomtse, described the attack on his palace as a deliberate and well-coordinated act of sabotage, alleging that certain individuals had taken advantage of the protests to execute a criminal agenda aimed at discrediting the government.
He expressed doubt that the attack was a genuine protest, pointing out that the protesters did not carry placards or present grievances in a conventional manner.
Abomtse argued that corpses are normally taken to mortuaries, not government offices or palaces.
He commended Alia for his visit and urged the government to identify and punish the perpetrators.
In their remarks, Christiana Gbagbul, a staff of Gwer West Local Government and Nyiuma Nicholas, the Commander of the Benue State Civil Protection Guard in the area, accused the military of complicity in the attacks.
They called for the redeployment of the military from the area, arguing that internal security matters should be left to the police.
