…says she’s tired of empty motions
By Sarah NEGEDU
The renewed wave of killings and violent attacks in Benue State has drawn fresh outrage from the Federal lawmaker representing Otukpo–Ohimini Federal Constituency, Hon. Blessing Onuh, who says she is “tired of moving motions without results” as bloodshed and abductions continue to ravage her communities.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, a visibly shaken Onuh said the persistent killings and kidnappings in her constituency have reached a breaking point, accusing security agencies of turning a blind eye to known criminal hideouts.
“I am really pained and frustrated. How can I continue to move motions on insecurity without sustained response? Whenever I cry, they respond, but soon they retreat and then more gruesome attacks occur,” she lamented.
Onuh said she now spends a huge part of her personal resources on hospital bills and funerals for victims, lamenting that the attacks have become relentless and increasingly brutal.
She detailed a string of recent incidents to show the worsening insecurity. Four persons were abducted in Asa village, Otukpo Local Government Area, on November 9, while eleven others were kidnapped in Akpegede two days later.
According to her, the gunmen operate freely from camps within Otukpo, with full knowledge of security operatives. “The most painful aspect is that the camp of these criminals is in Otukpo. All the security agencies are aware of it. They are there in their numbers with arms and ammunition,” she said.
Onuh recounted a chilling attack that claimed seven lives in early November. She said three farmers, Pastor Simon Nkpachi, Inalegwu, and John Ejeh Ijegwa, went missing on November 3. Their bodies, mutilated with machetes, were later discovered, except for Ijegwa, whose remains are still missing.
Before the community could recover, the attackers returned on November 4, killing four more residents, Stephen Ajeibi, Titus Ejeh (a blind man), Ekoja Gabriel, and Samuel Peter, while burning homes, food barns, and farmlands.
“Up till now, the body of John Ejeh Ijegwa, popularly known as Dealer and an APC community leader, is still missing. Fear has not allowed anyone to enter the bush to search for his body,” she said.
Seven people were confirmed dead, with six bodies deposited at the Federal University Hospital, Otukpo, ahead of burial on Thursday, November 13.
Onuh therefore appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct the Service Chiefs to act decisively and end the carnage. “The killings in my constituency have reached an outrageous level. Every day, we witness the senseless murder of innocent people, and tragically, it is beginning to feel as though it is normal,” she said.
She accused state and local authorities of responding to attacks only with empty statements and sympathy visits, describing such gestures as “cosmetic responses.”
“Are these killers above the law? Why is it so difficult to apprehend them and restore peace so our people can sleep with their two eyes closed?” she queried.
The lawmaker warned that the unending violence has forced farmers off their lands, worsening hunger and food insecurity across the region. While urging youths not to resort to self-help, Onuh pledged to continue pushing for action from relevant authorities.
“I will engage with political stakeholders and security heads to ensure these atrocities come to an end. Our people deserve to live in peace,” she said.
