The governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr Hyacinth Alia, has condemned in strong terms the abduction of passengers, including young candidates of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board JAMB), in Otukpo.
The governor who said he received the report of the abduction with deep concern and outrage, described the incident as a reprehensible and cowardly act by criminal elements.
A state issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Terms Kula, on Thursday and sighted by The Voice, quotes his principal as saying “The targeting of innocent citizens, particularly students on their way to sit for examinations, is unacceptable and stands against every norm of humanity and civil order.”
He assured the people of the state, especially, the affected families and parents, that security agencies have already swung into action and are firmly on the heels of the perpetrators, stressing that tactical teams have been fully mobilised, and coordinated, search-and-rescue operations are also ongoing to ensure the safe return of all abducted persons.”
The governor also reiterated his earlier call that terrorists and other criminals hiding in forests within the state should immediately be flushed out.
“The Governor is in constant communication with security commanders on the ground. He has directed that no effort be spared in securing the immediate release of the victims and bringing the criminals to justice.
“We understand the anxiety and pain this incident has caused, particularly to parents whose children were among those abducted.
“We stand with you at this difficult time and assure you that everything humanly and operationally possible will be done to secure their safe release”, the statement added.
The Governor further reiterated his commitment to strengthening security across the state and urged residents to remain calm, vigilant, and to continue to cooperate with security agencies by providing useful information where necessary stressing that Benue State would not succumb to criminality.
The Benue governor reassured residents of the government’s commitment to the protection of their lives and property at all times, saying, “We will continue to take decisive actions to protect lives and property”.
It would be recalled that on Wednesday night, a Benue links bus conveying 18 passengers from Makurdi to Otukpo was attacked around 8:00pm by suspected Fulani herdsmen with 17 passengers kidnapped, only the driver and one other person were said to have managed to escape.
The Voice gathered that the passengers were mainly young men and women traveling for JAMB examination
