Provide humanitarian aid to Benue attack victims, Group tells Tinubu

A group known as ‘Zone “A” Peoples’ Assembly’ (ZAPA) on Sunday appealed to President Bola Tinubu to urgently provide humanitarian support to all the communities ravaged by armed herders’ attacks in Benue state.

Spokesperson for the group, Fanen Mondo, made the appeal at a press conference held in Makurdi.

The group also called on the President to establish a long-term security framework, including forest surveillance and border control, to stop the activities of the invading marauders in the state.

While frowning at the frosty relationship between the governor and some stakeholders, particularly the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, the group called on Governor Alia to engage the Presidency on the situation.

The group, which traced the origin of insurgency in the state back to the beginning of the present political dispensation, said that the insurgency became more visible when the relationship among the political class in the state collapsed under successive administrations since 2007.

Mondo said, “We appeal to the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu to deploy immediate and decisive military action to end the killings.

“To provide emergency humanitarian support to affected communities and establish a long-term security framework, including forest surveillance and border control.

“We also appeal to the Governor, His Excellency, Governor Hyacinth Alia, to declare a state of emergency on security in Benue State and personally lead the response.

“To publicly and firmly engage the Presidency, making it clear that some of the so-called Benue representatives in Abuja are detached from the sufferings of our people.”

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