*PDP Guber Candidate Aondoakaa, Gov Alia React
*2 Female Suspects Nabbed Over Fake Kidnap Plot
By Sam Tyav, Makurdi
Fresh bloodshed rocked Benue State as no fewer than 15 residents of Eleyi-Okpoju, Ipom-Ukpoju and other neighbouring communities in Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA) were allegedly killed by suspected herdsmen on Tuesday, leaving many others with various degrees of injuries.
The attacks reportedly occurred at a time the residents least expected them even as preliminary information from the areas said the raids were unprovoked.
A resident who volunteered to speak, told People&Politics that the attacks were coordinated, adding that some residents were still missing as of press time while others sustained injuries and were receiving attention at various medical facilities.
A police source also told the paper that the attackers came in the early hours of Tuesday and unleashed terror on the affected communities unchallenged, leaving a trail of death, blood, injuries, and misery among residents.
Contacted, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Benue State Command, Udeme Edet, disclosed that, on receipt of reports of the attacks, police authorities immediately despatched a contingent of armed police personnel to the scene.
He added that calm has been restored to the area while the authorities have commenced thorough investigation into the incident.
”The situation is being closely monitored; further details will be made available as the investigation progresses and facts are established,” he said.
PDP Guber Candidate Aondoakaa Fumes, Flays Frequent Attacks, Constant Condemnations
Reacting, and disturbed by the upsurge in killings, gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2027 polls, Chief Mike Kaase Aondoakaa has condemned what he described as the incessant killing of Benue people.
A statement by his media assistant quoted the governorship candidate as calling on “the government and all security agencies to immediately deploy adequate personnel to the affected communities, intensify intelligence gathering, track down the perpetrators and their sponsors, and ensure that they are arrested and prosecuted without delay.”
Aondoakaa lamented that “the recurring cycle of attacks followed by routine condemnations has (sic) failed to deter the criminals and can no longer be accepted as the normal response to mass killings.”
Alia Reacts: Benue Is For Benue People, Cannot Be Handed Over To Outsiders
Meanwhile, the State Governor Hyacinth Alia has condemned the attacks on the communities.
He reassured that his administration would “continue to support the security agencies to ensure those who attack the state are spoken to in the language they understand.”
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Tersoo Kula quoted the governor as saying “Benue land is for Benue people. Those who think they can come and push the people away and take over, should think twice.”
The governor, according to the statement, noted that “our people are peaceful, hardworking and peaceful. I was elected to protect them, and I must do everything legitimately possible to ensure my people are protected, and our land is secured.”
Two Female Suspects Nabbed Over Fake Kidnap Plot
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Meanwhile, two female suspects have been arrested by the State Police Command over an alleged fake kidnap plot.
The two allegedly conspired to deceive the family of the victim into paying ransom.
A statement by a member of the Police Public Relations Office, DSP Orchia Peter Aondongu stated that on “July 15 2026, a report was received by the Command’s Violence Crime Response Unit (VCRU), Makurdi, that one Miss Mary Torkuma of Akpehe, Makurdi, had left her apartment on 12th July 2026 to visit a friend at North Bank area of Makurdi.
”The following day, her mother, who resides in Lagos State, received a telephone call from an unknown number demanding ransom and claiming that her daughter had been kidnapped.
”Upon receipt of the report, operatives of the VCRU immediately commenced an intelligence-driven investigation which led the team to a hotel in the Ankpa Quarters area of Makurdi, where the supposed victim, Mary Torkuma, was found alongside her accomplice, Miss Evergreen Samuel, who had travelled from Abia State.”
Preliminary investigation, according to the police spokesman, revealed that the two suspects allegedly conspired to stage the kidnapping with the intention of extorting the victim’s mother through false claim of Mary’s abduction.
According to the statement, the suspects are currently in police custody while investigation continues and they would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.
However, the state Commissioner of Police (CP) Cletus C.N. Nwadiogbu has warned members of the public against engaging in criminal acts, including the staging of false kidnaps, stressing that such offences divert critical security resources from genuine emergencies and are punishable under the law.
He assured residents of the Command’s commitment to intelligence-led policing and encouraged members of the public to promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police formation or through the Command’s given emergency lines.
