Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen have reportedly attacked Ayar Mbalom village in Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State, killing 19 persons and burning down several houses.
Killed in the attack, which occurred during the morning Mass, were Rev Father Joseph Gor (Parish Priest) and his assistant, Rev Fr. Felix, both of St. Ignatius Quasi Parish in Ukpor-Mbalom, Ikpayongo Deanary, Makurdi Diocese, and several others. The attackers also sacked all the villagers.
The Director of Communications, Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, Mr. Moses Iorapuu, in a statement, called on the Federal government to end the senseless killings in the State and the country at large.
“In their classic style, they burnt down homes, destroyed food items and killed. The police seem to know nothing of the attacks, which have been going on in other villages within Benue State since the Anti-Open Grazing Law came into effect last year,” Iorapuu lamented.
But President Muhammadu Buhari saw it differently.
Buhari, while condemning the attack as vile and satanic, said the perpetrators are attempting to stoke religious conflict and an endless bloodletting.
A statement by his media adviser Femi Adesina said the president is of the view that the assault on innocent priests and worshippers is despicable as he extended his condolences to the people of Benue State and the affected community of St Ignatius’ Catholic Church, Mbalom.
The statement quoted the president as saying: “I extend my sincere condolences to the government and people of Benue State, the Mbalom community, and especially the Bishop, priests and members of the St Ignatius’ Catholic Church, whose premises was the unfortunate venue of the heinous killings by gunmen.
“This latest assault on innocent persons is particularly despicable. Violating a place of worship, killing priests and worshippers is not only vile, evil and satanic, it is clearly calculated to stoke up religious conflict and plunge our communities into endless bloodletting.”
Stressing that the country will not bow to the machinations of evildoers, President Buhari vowed that the assailants would be hunted down and made to pay for the sacrilege committed.
Meanwhile, The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described Buhari’s government as completely confused, incompetent in the face of herdsmen incessant attacks across the country. It said the government lacks the capacity to secure the nation.
The PDP stated this while lambasting the APC government for accusing the opposition of being responsible the killings in the North Central.
This was contained in a statement signed by PDP’s spokesperson, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
The statement reads: “It is totally atrocious that instead of waking up to its responsibility or accepting failure and seeking help, President Muhammadu Buhari and his officials have been resorting to blame game in the face of daily bloodletting and mass killings in our country.
“Only recently, President Buhari ran to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby to blame deserters from late Muammah Gaddafi’s Libya as being responsible for the killings.
“In the last three years, the Buhari Presidency had placed blames on past administration, demographic changes, climate change, conflict over cattle routes, decreased farmland space against increased number of cattle and human population. Today, it is the opposition that is responsible for their failure to secure the people.
“It is unfortunate that instead of defining and facing the challenges confronting our nation, the Presidency is busy chasing straws thereby failing to nip in the bud a dangerous dimension in our national history.
“President Buhari and his dysfunctional All Progressives Congress (APC) must be held responsible for the escalation of the killings across country in the last three years; a direct consequence of their incompetence, harsh policies, nepotic proclivities and general failure in governance.
“We know that the latest allegations against the opposition is in furtherance of the plot by the failed APC to set up innocent Nigerians as a face saving stunt to divert attention from their failures.
“The fact remains that President Buhari has failed after winning power on the basis of false promises but more heartrending is this attempt by the Presidency to play politics with human lives.
“As a party, we stand with all Nigerians, especially the victims of the killings under the APC. We invite all Nigerians to join hands with the repositioned PDP as we work towards a national rebirth and the enthronement of a government that truly cares for the people come 2019.”