Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has issued a directive for necessary arrangements to be made for another mass burial in the state.
The mass burial is planned to hold next week Friday, March 16.
The governor gave this directive on Tuesday during his visit to Omusu village. He described the attack as unfortunate and called for the arrest and prosecution of the herdsmen allegedly responsible for the attack on Omusu village in Okpokwu Local Government Area of the state which has left 24 people dead.
14 of the victims were women, two children while the search for more bodies has continued.
Governor Ortom during the visit to the village appealed to the community not to embark on reprisal attacks. Security agents have since been mobilised to forestall further attacks while the governor also called on the State Emergency Management Agency to immediately provide relief materials to persons displaced in the attack.
He reiterated his call for the arrest of the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore whom he alleged were sponsoring the suspected herdsmen militia.
The governor also visited Saint Mary’s Hospital Okpoga, where the injured persons were treated and proceeded to the General Hospital in the town where remains of the dead victims were deposited.
The Chairman of Okpokwu Local Government Council, Ogwuche Olofu said, the herdsmen had earlier reported an attack on them, alleging that some cows and two persons were missing.
According to him, while the allegations were being investigated, the herdsmen launched the reprisal attack on Okpokwu around 4:00 pm on Monday. This led to the death of twenty-four persons with many houses razed and scores injured.
One of the community leaders, Itodo Ojobo acknowledged the swift response of security agents to their distress call and appealed for assistance to enable family members to bury their dead and take care of those being treated in various hospitals.
