By Valentine Amanze, Online Editor
Suspected herdsmen have killed seven internally displaced persons (IDPs) in a camp in Abagena, a Makurdi suburb in Benue State.
The attackers, on Monday night, stormed the community and destroyed many houses before moving into the camp.
One of the victims sustained injuries and later died at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital.
Eyewitnesses said that the gunmen overpowered the security operatives at the camp and operated from midnight till 2am unchallenged.
The camp, about 10 minutes drive from Makurdi, is located on Makurdi-Lafia road. It has 8,620 displaced persons.
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, who visited the camp after the incident, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to address Nigerians.
“Mr President must speak out and not Garba Shehu, his spokesman,” Ortom said.
The governor said that over 70 persons were killed in two weeks in Makurdi, Gwer West and Guma councils.
“Mr President must rise up as he is the President of Nigeria with over 200 ethnic nationalities. He has taken an oath of office to protect lives and property and cannot afford to be aloof.
“He must address the nation and tell us where we are going,” Ortom said.
Ortom also appealed to the President to declare a state of emergency on the deteriorating security situation.
“My colleagues, the governors, must rise and impress on the president to call a security summit, if possible, to declare a state of emergency on security so that all hands will be on deck to address the situation in the country.
“How do you reconcile a situation where Mr President gives an order to security agents to shoot at sight anyone illegally seen with AK-47 and a minister counters it?” the governor lamented.
