The leadership of Ochetoha k’Idoma, the umbrella organ of all Idoma socio-cultural organisations worldwide, has blamed security agencies in Otukpo, traditional headquarters of the Benue South Senatorial District, for failing to avert the massacre of innocent people in Otukpo LGA over the weekend.
PROF. YAKUBU ABOKI OCHEFU,
In a press statement signed by the President General, Prof Yakubu Ochefu, and Secretary General, Chief Barr Paul Edeh, the organisation came down hard on the Nigeria Police and sister security agencies, blaming them for not acting on credible intelligence provided by HRM Och’Idoma Dr John Elaigwu Odogbo prior to the armed attacks on Akpachi-Ugboju and Otukponobi which led to the death of more than ten people over last weekend.
DR. JOHN EIBONYE, OCHO’TUKPO OODUH
According to the strongly worded statement addressed to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, the Inspector General of Police, the Governor of Benue State, and the International Community, “..The security agencies had actionable information and failed to act on it”. They warned that the restraint of the Idoma people should not be mistaken for weakness, pointing out that for many years they have sued for peace even in the face of unprovoked attacks from marauding armed herdsmen who have annually overran Idoma villages slaughtering innocent people, violating women and turning young children into orphans.
Recalling the unusual speed with which Government reacted to the killing of the Benue State Chairman of Miyetti Allah last month, and the “reckless arrests of innocent residents, including an elderly man over 80 years of age and vigilantes who form the only thin line between our children and murderers”, the Ochetoha k’Idoma pointed out that numerous threats were made publicly through videos in the social media about planned attacks on Benue communities, but no arrests have been made.
Placing a warning on public records, Prof Ochefu and Barr Edeh said they are informing Mr President and security agencies of credible intelligence about further planned armed invasion of Idomaland by people allegedly already in surrounding forests, stressing that should that happen the people will be left with no option than to exercise their constitutional right to self-defence as the blood of an Idoma child is worth no less than any other Nigerian.
The immediate demands of Ochetoha k’Idoma include the immediate deployment of security forces to the surrounding forests to dislodge those gathering to kill; immediate arrest and prosecution of every person who published threats to shed blood on social media; immediate and unconditional release of every innocent resident and vigilante wrongfully detained in connection with the Ohimini incident; a thorough, intelligence-led manhunt to apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators of these massacres; as well as urgent relief, shelter, and medical care for the displaced, wounded, and bereaved.
End…… 14/07/2026.
