Tension gripped Jato Aka, the headquarters of Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, after suspected thugs abducted a mortuary attendant at NKST Hospital, disrupting plans for a mass burial of victims of a recent bandit attack.
The victim, MT Tiga, was reportedly taken away on Thursday by the attackers, an incident that left families of those killed unable to retrieve the bodies of their relatives from the mortuary.
The planned burial was for victims of an attack carried out on March 5 in Tyungu Jam and Mbaav communities located in Yaav and Mbadura council wards of Kwande Local Government Area. The assault left several residents dead while many others sustained injuries.
The disruption forced grieving families to suspend burial arrangements as there was no mortuary official available to release the corpses.
Reacting to the earlier killings, Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, described the attack as “senseless and barbaric” in a statement issued by his media aide, Solomon Iorpev, while urging security agencies to track down those responsible.
The burial ceremony, which was expected to take place on Thursday, had drawn sympathisers, family members and priests from within and outside the state.
However, the event was halted after the suspected thugs allegedly stormed the hospital premises, abducted the mortuary attendant and locked the mortuary facility, preventing access to the bodies.
The All Progressives Congress in Benue State condemned the incident, describing it as disgraceful and alleging that it was sponsored.
In a statement issued by the party’s publicity secretary, Daniel Ihomun, the APC said:
“We have received disturbing reports that sponsored thugs abducted a mortuary attendant, Mr. MT Tiga, and sealed his mortuary facility in a desperate attempt to prevent the people of Turan from carrying out a mass burial for the victims who were killed in Mbachoon, Yaav District of Turan in Kwande Local Government Area.
“This barbaric act is not only inhumane but also an assault on the fundamental right of a community to mourn and bury their dead with dignity. The people of Turan have every right to determine how they lay their loved ones to rest and to draw attention to the ongoing suffering and systematic killings being perpetrated against them by armed Fulani bandits.
“While we commiserate with the grieving families and the entire Turan community, we commend Mr. Alex Barbir, who travelled from the United States to stand in solidarity with the people, witness the burial, and support efforts to tell the story of the Benue genocide to the international community.”
Also reacting, the President-General of Mdzough U Tiv Worldwide, retired Comptroller General of Prisons, Iorbee Ihagh, described the development as unfortunate.
“It is very shameful. People came from far away, even outside the country, but the mortuary attendant was not seen and the place was locked. The people wanted to force the mortuary open, but the priest said they should not do that,” Ihagh said.
When contacted, the Chairman of Kwande Local Government Area, Neji Terhile, said those organising the mass burial may not have fully considered the security risks in the area.
“You are aware that these people slept in their houses and were attacked by Fulanis. Mobilizing a mass burial in such a community is a death trap,” the chairman said.
Terhile added that some of the victims had already been buried earlier.