STATEMENT ON THE HORRIFIC TERRORIST ATTACKS IN OTUKPO NOBI AND UGBOJU EHAJE: A GRIM REMINDER OF A GONE-TO-SLEEP GOVERNMENT.

JULY 12, 2026

It is with a profound sense of grief, outrage, and deep sorrow that I fiercely condemn the horrific, barbaric terrorist attacks unleashed upon our helpless citizens in **Otukpo Nobi** and **Ugboju Ehaje**, all within Otukpo Local Government Area, during the early hours of today.

Reports emanating from the ground paint a heart-wrenching picture of lives cut short, families shattered, and communities thrown into absolute panic by bloodthirsty criminals. My heart and prayers go out to the families of the victims, the people of Otukpo Nobi and Ugboju Ehaje, and every Benue son and daughter currently living under the dark cloud of fear.

However, beyond our grief, we must confront a bitter, undeniable, and catastrophic reality: **The Benue State Government has completely abandoned its primary, constitutional duty to proactively protect the lives and properties of citizens of the state.

While our communities bleed, the state leadership remains completely non-responsive, detached, and utterly paralyzed by institutional inertia. Today’s tragedies in Otukpo Nobi and Ugboju Ehaje are not isolated incidents; they are the direct consequence of a leadership that chooses political grandstanding and bureaucratic excuses over decisive, actionable security measures.

The cold indifference from the Government House in Makurdi is deafening. Our people are being slaughtered in their homes, yet all they receive from the state government is silence, empty press releases after the damage is done, and a shocking lack of post-attack care or tangible support for the displaced and traumatized survivors.

To govern is to care. To lead is to protect. What we are witnessing today in Benue State is a governance vacuum where helpless citizens have been left entirely to the mercy of terrorists, bandits, and marauders. It is unacceptable that the chief security officer of the state remains missing in action while the blood of innocent Benue citizens cries out for justice.

We cannot continue to watch our state crumble under the weight of insecurity while those sworn to protect us fold their arms. I call on the federal security agencies to step into the gap immediately, bypass the local administrative lethargy, and deploy tactical units to restore order and track down the perpetrators of this heinous crime.

To the resilient people of Otukpo Nobi, Ugboju Ehaje, and the wider Benue community: do not lose hope. We are a people of deep faith and unbreakable resolve. Even in this dark hour, we must stand firm, support one another, and remain unified.

May the innocent souls lost to these senseless killings rest in perfect peace.