African Democratic Congress National Chairman David Mark has condemned a renewed wave of killings in Benue and Plateau States, calling the persistent bloodshed intolerable and demanding immediate, decisive action to end it, after reports emerged of roughly 16 people killed in Otukpo, Benue State, and nine others in Riyom, Plateau State, by suspected armed militias.
In a statement from Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Kola Ologbondiyan, Mark described the attacks as barbaric, reprehensible and a direct assault on the sanctity of human life, and expressed particular concern over the reported hijacking of a fully loaded Benue Links bus along the Otukpo Taraku Makurdi Road, where armed criminals allegedly abducted all the passengers into the bush, calling for immediate, coordinated search and rescue operations to secure their safe release. He said the recurring attacks, senseless killings and rising kidnappings in Benue State pose a serious threat to national security, peace and social stability, warning that no nation can prosper under a climate of fear, lawlessness and impunity. It is unacceptable that innocent Nigerians continue to be slaughtered in their communities while others are abducted on our highways, he said, arguing that the primary responsibility of any government is protecting lives and property, and that every life lost is one too many while every unanswered attack only emboldens the perpetrators further.
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria voiced outrage over the killings in the Otukpo Nobi and Akpachi communities of Otukpo local government area, where no fewer than 16 people, including women and children, died in coordinated attacks. In a statement from National Coordinator Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group said the latest bloodshed is a painful reminder that human life has become frighteningly cheap in parts of Nigeria because governments keep reacting after each massacre instead of preventing them, arguing the repeated slaughter of innocent citizens can no longer be dismissed as unfortunate incidents but represents a monumental failure of governance and security, and insisting governors must begin taking responsibility.
The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution separately condemned the Otukpo killings, calling them a grave assault on peace, security and national unity, and demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible. In a statement from Director General Joseph Ochogwu, the institute called the incidents senseless, tragic and unacceptable, extending condolences to victims’ families, the Benue State Government and the affected communities, and argued the recurring violence against rural communities underscores the urgent need for stronger security measures and more proactive conflict prevention. The perpetrators of these heinous acts must not be allowed to escape justice, the statement said, holding those responsible accountable is essential to restoring public confidence, deterring future violence and reinforcing the rule of law.
