Benue Assembly calls for action against cultist killings
…Benue State Assembly Calls for Urgent Action Against Cultist Killings in North Bank
By Titus Atondu, Makurdi
Hon. Alfred Emberga Aondoaver, Member of the Benue State House of Assembly representing Makurdi North and Deputy Majority Whip, has urged the Benue State Government to mobilize relevant security agencies to investigate and halt the persistent killings by cultists in the North Bank settlement of Makurdi.
Hon. Alfred made this appeal during Tuesday’s plenary, presided over by Rt. Hon. Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh, in a motion titled “H.M. 67: Motion Calling on the Benue State Government to Mobilise Relevant Agencies to Investigate and Stop the Incessant Killings by Cultists in North Bank, Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State.”
He highlighted the rise in cultism and related activities across Nigeria, including Benue State, particularly in urban areas where various confraternities have taken root. Despite the Benue State House of Assembly’s enactment of the Abduction, Hostage-Taking, Kidnapping, Secret Cult and Similar Activities (Prohibition) Law on April 27, 2017, which took effect on May 22, 2017, cult activities have continued unabated.
The Deputy Majority Whip pointed out that, over the past seven years, cult-related violence has persisted, especially in the North Bank area of Makurdi, where young individuals aged 12 to 29 are being recruited by different cult groups to destabilise the community.
“Between January and August 2024, approximately 50 lives have been lost in the North Bank due to cult-related violence,” Hon. Alfred reported. “Just three weeks ago, a man was shot by cultists while at a barber’s shop in North Bank. The most recent incident occurred on August 19, 2024, when ten people were murdered in similar circumstances.”
Hon. Alfred expressed concern that if the trend continues unchecked, it will disrupt the peace in the North Bank and instil fear among residents.
The 10th Benue State House of Assembly adopted several resolutions, including a condemnation of the killings by secret cults in the North Bank and other parts of the state. The Assembly also called on the Benue State Government to mobilise security agencies to investigate and curb the violence. Specifically, the Benue State Police Command, Department of State Services, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps were urged to increase personnel and surveillance in high-risk areas of the North Bank, such as Yogbo Road, behind ECWA Secondary School, Lafia Junction, and Veterinary Layout.
Hon. Terwase Uche, also representing Makurdi North, supported the motion and criticised the security agencies for failing to protect lives and property. He lamented that despite the establishment of the 72 Army Barracks and the Nigerian School of Military Engineering (NASME) in the North Bank, violence continues unabated.
