Violence erupted in parts of Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State Wednesday, leading to destruction of houses and other property in Sankera, the local headquarters, Zaki Biam and neighboring villages.
The local government secretariat was set ablaze and the structure housing the legislative arm of government razed to the ground.
This followed a protest by aggrieved residents to register their displeasure over alleged incessant attacks, killings, kidnapping and other acts of terrorism by suspected gunmen.
Our correspondent gathered that the angry protesters made their way to the local government secretariat, set some property on fire, and later barricaded some of the major roads, disrupting both human and vehicular movement in the area.
According to some of the protesters, the immediate trigger of the protest was an alleged attack on the Ayati community by unknown gunmen in the early hours of Wednesday during which nine persons, including pregnant women and children, were allegedly killed.
Expressing sadness over the incident and the continuous insecurity in the area, a youth, Emmanuel Akaaza on the Yam Market Road, Zaki Biam lamented how gunmen had been terrorizing their communities, including the latest attack in Ayati.
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A resident of Ayati, Terkaa Apezan, who said he narrowly escaped the onslaught that continued into the morning, added that the area has turned into a death zone with almost every house in the village a victim of the attacks.
He lamented that many residents were stranded and living in palpable fear due to the intermittent threats from the attackers.
When contacted in the morning, the Caretaker Chairman of Ukum Local Government Council, Victor Iorzaa promised to get back to our correspondent, a promise he was yet to keep as at the time of filing this report.
In her reaction, Spokesperson for the Benue Police Command, SP Sewuese Anene confirmed that the Command received a report of the protest from the Divisional Police Officer of Ukum Local Government.
She however said the Command was waiting for briefing from the DPO to ascertain the exact situation on ground before actions would be taken.
Meanwhile the Benue State government has issued a twenty hour curfew in Ukum Local Government Area LGA of Benue State, following the destruction of government property and torching of the LG secretariat on Wednesday, morning by protesters.
The statement by the Governor said that in the first instance, the curfew would last for twenty hours, that will be from three p.m on Wednesday to three p.m on Thursday.
Rising from an emergency Security Council meeting at Government House, Makurdi, on Wednesday, the Governor who was represented by his Deputy, Barr Sam Ode, said that thereafter the curfew would continue from six pm to six a.m as from Thursday, fourth July, till further notice.
