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Suspected members of a militia in Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State known by the locals as Bonta Boys, have reportedly killed two persons and injured three others following an alleged attack on Ukpute community in Oju Local Government Area of the state.
A community leader from Oju who spoke with journalists on phone on condition of anonymity, lamented that the people of Ukpute had enjoyed relative peace for a week after the soliders left the area before the militiamen struck
“Immediately the Bonta boys heard that the soldiers had left the area, the Bonta Militias came last Tuesday on motorbike and shot sporadically into the air to scare the people.
On Thursday, they returned again and were able to get one person. The man was returning from Ugboba, a village in Gwer where he had gone to take refuge to Ukpute.
“He was unfortunate and walked into the Bonta Boys who shot him dead. That same day, they shot another person but he did not die. He is recuperating at a local hospital where gun wounds are treated. Then, they returned on Saturday in a guerilla style, shot sporadically and people scampered for fear. In the process, they kidnapped a youth Jonathan Ogah Odigba on a motorbike.
“immediatley, I called the Security Adviser to the Governor Lt. Col. Paul Hembah to report the matter to him but he did not pick his call and I dropped a message which he did not reply to.
I also, dropped a message to the President Tiv Youth Organization Timothy Hembaor.
“He did not acknowledge the message even as I speak to you. I did same to the Special Adviser on Labor Chief Ode Enyi as well as Blessed Emmanuel who is an appointee from Oju. He told that he is talking with the authority on prevail on the Bonta boys to release the captive.
“While he was working on that, the Bonta boys may have gotten signal that government was trying to intervene to get the young man released, they killed him and brought his dead body fresh and dropped it at the village called Ikingo, it is an outskirt on Ukpute. Since then, we have been living in fear.
“We do not know if the government is doing anything about but we have reported to all the authorities. The government has not issued any statement. The Divisional Police Officer, DPO is aware because I reported the matter to him. In all two persons were killed and three injured”.
Efforts to get the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Oju Police Division, Adikwu John, failed as his phone was switched off.
When contacted, Public Relations Officer for the state police command, DSP Catherine Anene, said she was at a conference. She did not reply to text message sent to her phone by our correspondent.
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