Youths stone Benue governor’s convoy
The Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, narrowly escaped unharmed when a group of angry youths from the Ugondo area of Makurdi community hurled stones and other objects at his convoy. This incident occurred while he was visiting Vaatia College to assess the preparations for the burial of Engr. Michael Vaatia, the school’s proprietor, who passed away recently.
Following the attack, at least six of the youths involved were reportedly taken into custody. The deceased, who passed away a few days ago, is slated to be buried within the school premises, sparking protests from the youths from the Ugondo community who argued that he should not be buried there due to claims of being a settler.
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The late Vaatia, like the governor, hailed from the Vandeikya local government area. Donald Kumun, Governor Alia’s Principal Special Assistant on Print Media, informed the New Telegraph that the hoodlums disrupted proceedings in an attempt to cause turmoil ahead of the burial.
During the governor’s visit, the youths expressed their grievances through chants and disrupted proceedings. The security escorts accompanying the governor’s convoy worked to prevent the youths from accessing the school, while additional government officials were left stranded outside the premises. The situation escalated when the youths allegedly fired shots in the air to intimidate onlookers. However, the combined efforts of Operation Zenda personnel led to the arrest of several individuals.
Governor Alia addressed the community leaders, cautioning against actions that bred animosity and disunity within the state. He urged the traditional and community leaders to be vigilant and stated that those arrested would be questioned, with potentially implicated individuals called to account for their actions.
In an effort to restore peace, the governor assured the students of their safety during and after the burial. He instructed the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations to ensure that peace prevailed for the wake keep and burial.
Despite the tense situation, political figures and elder statesmen, including Senators Daniel Saror and Fred Orti, were present to witness the events, as security forces apprehended the suspects.
At the time of filing this report,efforts were underway to reconstruct the damaged grave in preparation for the impending burial.