KEY POINTS
- Police authorities took two main participants into custody who lead the violent Benue protest activities.
- The protest began following circus circumstances where civil protection officers received fatal attacks supposedly from armed herders.
- Security forces intervened while investigations proceed toward prosecuting every responsible party involved in this incident.
Law enforcement personnel of the Benue State Police Command have detained two young protesters who organized demonstrations in Naka that triggered destructive chaos in Gwer West Local Government Area.
The protest started after Benue Civil Protection Guards lost three of their members and this escalation resulted in the destruction of council secretariat buildings and the monarch’s palace and significant possessions of notable figures.
Benue Protest turns violent
Young community members started the protest at 7 a.m. Tuesday because three civil protection personnel had been killed by armed herdsmen in Gyaluwa. Suspected hoodlums who took control of the protest eventually caused riots by delivering fire to government establishments and personal properties.
Police forces under the command of the Benue State Police Command arrived swiftly to stop the worsening situation. The police authorities had already arrested two main suspects while conducting ongoing investigations.
Police response and ongoing investigation
During his site visit to Naka the CP Steve Yabanet brought Police Public Relations Officer Chief Superintendent Catherine Anene to lead joint security personnel including Governor security adviser Col. Alexander Ashongu(retd).
The security team found evidence that herders performed attacks which led to fatalities of three local youths at this location. The youths formed an uprising which became violent thus leading to damage of the local government secretariat as well as Ter Nagi’s palace together with prominent citizens’ properties from Gwer-West” Anene reported.
The additional police units deployed to the scene managed to stabilize the situation while police officers detained two individuals suspected of leading the protest to investigate their actions.
Condemnation of violence
Commissioner Yabanet offered his sympathy to the families who lost their children before speaking out against the murders combined with property damage in the area. He promised to catch the individuals who murdered the young men while instructing people to avoid illegal vengeance.
Security forces will ensure proper punishment of violent perpetrators. According to the Commissioner there exists no authorized power for citizens to enforce justice through their own methods.
The authorities request civilian cooperation with security forces and ask people to stay peaceful throughout the investigational period.
