From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
The people of Ado Local Government Area of Benue State have still not come to terms with the sudden and mysterious disappearance of nine of their youths in the last few weeks.
It was gathered that the nine persons went missing on two separate occasions on their way to Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State, through the same route.
Sources from the area disclosed that the situation had caused so much tension and fear in the area, especially as the whereabouts of the nine remained unknown weeks after their disappearance.
Benue and Ebonyi states have been having violent conflicts along the borderline for sometime now and many persons have been reportedly killed in the prolonged crisis in that axis.
Some aged mothers of the missing able-bodied youths and their wives, it was learnt, have continued to cry inconsolably, while youths in the area have dispatched search parties to all nooks and crannies with a view to finding the victims alive or dead, but to no avail.
Chairman of Ado LGA, James Oche, who confirmed the report in a telephone conversation with our correspondent, gave a vivid narration of how it all happened.
He said: “It all started on September 11 when we received report of two persons missing and the matter was reported to the police. The two people were from Ijigban council ward of Ado.
“We noticed that the two people were actually going to Abakaliki in Ebonyi and they passed through a short cut on the border with Abakaliki in Ebonyi State. However, we have been having issues with Effium and Ezza, which escalated to our local government from Ohawu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
“On October 7, another report came to us that seven young men, five of them climbed two motorcycles going to Abakaliki to open an account with GTB and they left Apa Ward of Ado LGA and headed again towards the same direction.
“They were talking to their people until afternoon when the phones stopped connecting. It was confirmed that they got towards the crisis area of Effium and Ezza before their lines went dead. The matter was reported to the police but since then nothing has been heard about them.”
Oche, who recently visited the area and had a meeting with the affected community on the Benue side, described the development as mysterious. He said the council had commenced investigations into the matter to ascertain what really transpired.
“We have been investigating and there have been no insights into what transpired,” the he said, adding that the issue had heightened tension in the area even as he urged the people to remain calm, as government was not relenting on the matter at all.
“I have called security meetings and security people from the other side (Ebonyi) and there is no credible information on what actually happened. As I talk to you now, we have not heard from them and not seen their bikes.
“It has actually heightened tension because it is not a secret that they disappeared where we have conflict with other people.
“Yesterday (Thursday), I visited the parents and the youths and appealed to them not to take the law into their hands. We are collaborating with all security operatives. Our governor is aware of it; the deputy governor is always calling to know what is happening,” Oche said.
Last Sunday, the tension brewing in the area became so high that Oche had to declare a dusk-to-dawn curfew to forestall any violent crisis.
It was gathered that some Ado youths were planning to take the fight to the doorstep of the Ezza people whom they suspected must have been behind the disappearance of the nine.
And in order to stop them from further escalating the crisis, the council quickly imposed the curfew within Apa ward.
A statement signed by the council boss and made available to our correspondent said: “In consideration of certain developments of security concern within Ado Local Government Area of Benue State, we hereby with immediate effect, declare an unconditional curfew within Apa Ward from the hours of 6pm to 6am till further notice.”
The council also urged everyone within the area or those who ply the route to be aware that, “in the pendency of the curfew, there shall be no movement of whatever kind within the geographical land space of Apa Ward except with the chairman’s written approval first sought and obtained for critical emergencies.”
He advised criminally minded persons around the area to shun all forms of criminal activities forthwith or be ready to face the consequences that will accrue from such acts as security agencies are ready to deal decisively with violators.
“That all travelers, transporters, especially commercial cyclists known popularly as Okada and commuters, must adhere to this curfew and no movement of whatsoever kind or for whatever reason will be tolerated.
“That all persons resident within Apa Ward are advised to be security conscious and report suspicious security concerns immediately,’ the statement stated.
When contacted, the police public relations officer in Benue State, DSP Catherine Anene, confirmed that nine persons were reported missing in Ado LGA of the state.
“The case has been reported, police are on their trail. It happened at the border of Benue and Ebonyi states,” Anene said.
Meanwhile, Governor Samuel Ortom has appealed to the people at border communities in Benue and Ebonyi states to cease hostilities, give peace a chance and allow the two governments resolve the protracted crisis.
Ortom, in a chat with newsmen in Makurdi last Saturday on arrival from Abuja, described the prolonged crisis as unfortunate. He said the border issues along that axis predated him.
Ortom, who posited that the age-long dispute between communities on both sides was beyond boundary line, regretted that the crisis had even led to suspension of academic and farming activities within the area.
He said: “I inherited this problem and it is really an unfortunate challenge but we will continue to try our best to resolve it.
“This is a situation where you have people who speak the same language, have kinsmen in Ado and resident in Ebonyi. You also have people who are originally from Ebonyi but live in Ado LGA of Benue State and any little problem, instead of settling it, it will be aggravated.
“It is beyond boundary issue but we are discussing with the National Boundary Commission to see what we can do.
“But we must learn to live as brothers and sisters because all the years of fighting, killing and destruction from both sides have not yielded anything.
“The children are not going to school, no business or farming activities going on there because of the crisis.
“I want to appeal to both sides to sheathe their sword and allow the two governments to come in and solve the problem.
“If you are an Ado indigene but fall in Ebonyi State, please pay your allegiance to Ebonyi and if you are an Ebonyi indigene but resident in Benue pay your allegiance to Benue.”