Rose Ejembi, Makurdi

Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has again called on security agencies to take proactive measures to stop further killings in the state.

His call came on the heels of reports of renewed armed Fulani herdsmen attacks and killings in several local government areas, including Guma, Logo, Kwande, Gwer West and Agatu.

Only last week 10 people were murdered in Agagbe District of Gwer West, a father and his son were also killed in Okoklo community in Agatu, as 10 other travelers were reportedly killed around Yelwata community in Guma local government area, Daily Sun recalls.

Reacting to these spate of killings across the state, Governor Ortom condemned the fresh attacks on the people of the state and elsewhere across the country, describing the attacks as barbaric, inhuman an unacceptable.

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He called on individuals, groups and communities to assist law enforcement with information and other lawful support that would enable them perform their duty of protecting lives and property of citizens by acting promptly on security reports and threats to peace.

While positing that the state was not at war with any ethnic group, the Governor, who maintained that he would not allow the security situation in the state to degenerate into reprisals and anarchy, advised that no one should make inciting statements or resort to attacks against any group.

He appealed to the people not to condone or encourage acts of criminality, pointing out that the security agencies have been directed and are being supported to curb such activities, also warning that anyone found culpable would not be spared.

Governor Ortom commended the efforts of the security agencies in the state whose members have paid the supreme price, and called for more deployments to violence flashpoints.

The Governor lamented that the new attacks have engendered a growing humanitarian crises, and called for more assistance from the Federal Government, the international community, public-spirited individuals, organizations as well as corporate bodies to tackle the challenges.