Youths kill seven in Gboko, Ortom imposes curfew

The Benue State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, on Wednesday said that seven persons were killed  by irate youths  in Gboko area of Benue State.The CP, who disclosed this while briefing newsmen in his office, said the victims  were said to be travelling either to Okene in Kogi State or Taraba State when criminals attacked, killed and burnt them to ashes.Owoseni added that policemen  in the town promptly raced to the scene of incident but lamented that the criminals attacked their patrol vehicle.He said, “We got information around 11am this morning that some hoodlums believed to be of Tiv stock between 9.30am and 10.am stormed a garage in Gboko where they attacked seven people believed to be of Fulani extraction, killed and burnt them.“The passengers were said to be in the park where they were trying to board  a commercial vehicle to Okene or Taraba. The police in the area of the attack got information and rushed to the place but the criminals embarked on hurling stones at the police.”Owoseni, who said some people had been arrested and were helping the police with useful information, condemned the act and warned that the command would not hesitate to deal with anyone found culpable in any criminal act.He, however, submitted that the crisis did not have any “ethnic, religion or political coloration but it’s pure banditry.”The police commissioner, however, said that there was intelligence report that some people in and outside the state were planning attack on some communities along the Benue and Nasarawa state’s borders.He added that the people wanted to cash in on the recent crisis in Kadarko area of Nasarawa State, adding that the people had acquired sophisticated arms for the action.“To me, this will further escalate the security challenges that we are facing in the state, it is necessary to emphasize that the police will not hesitate to deal decisively with criminal elements who want to take advantage of the situation,” Owoseni said.Meanwhile, the state government has imposed a dusk to dawn curfew on Gboko till further notice.According to the statement issued by the Media Adviser to the Governor, Mr. Tahav Argezua, the government said that the curfew would last from 6pm to 6am from January 31till further notice.He stated that those exempted from the curfew are those on essential services such as medical personnel  as well as those who could provide convincing  identification.

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