Residents of Otukpo and nearby areas in Benue State took to the streets on Tuesday, blocking the Otukpo-Enugu Federal Highway to protest against the rising insecurity in the area.
Chanting “We no go gree! We no go gree!” the demonstrators demanded urgent action from the government and security agencies to curb the increasing cases of robbery, killings, and kidnappings that have plagued their communities.
One of the protesters, identified simply as Dan, said the youths decided to stage the demonstration because the security situation, particularly in the Asa community, had deteriorated significantly.
“Since the beginning of this year, robbery, kidnapping, and killings have increased in Otukpo. The government is not doing anything to stop it,” he said.
He further said, “Last week, gunmen invaded the Asa community, raided nearly all the houses, stole valuables, and kidnapped a woman. Just yesterday (Monday), a man known as Akatu Onche was killed in his house by gunmen. Since these attacks continue without any action from the authorities, we decided to come out and express our anger.”
Another protester, Madam Christy, urged the Benue State Government to take immediate steps to restore security in Otukpo and its surroundings.
“The state government must deploy more security operatives to Otukpo and surrounding areas to curb this growing insecurity,” she said.
The protest, which drew a large crowd, led to a blockade of the federal highway, which resulted in disruptions of traffic for several hours.
The Chairman of Otukpo Local Government, Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed that the road had been cleared.
“Sorry, I’m in a security meeting right now and can’t talk, but the roadblock has been cleared,” he told Punch.
The spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, Catherine Anene, said she had not received official reports about the situation.
“I have been seeing posts on Facebook, but I tried reaching the divisional police officer in Otukpo, and he hasn’t picked up his phone,” she said.
