Residents of Tyungu Jam and Mbaav communities in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State were shocked on Thursday when families preparing for a mass burial were denied access to the bodies of bandit attack victims.
It was gathered that relatives who went to the mortuary to claim the bodies were surprised to learn that the mortuary attendant had been abducted.
The attack occurred last Thursday when bandits invaded Tyungu Jam and Mbaav communities in Yaav and Mbadura Council wards of Kwande LGA, leaving several dead and many others injured.
The state governor, Hyacinth Alia, through his media aide Solomon Iorpev, described the killings as “senseless and barbaric” and urged security operatives to apprehend the perpetrators.
Some families had scheduled Thursday for the burial of eleven victims, drawing people and priests from both within and outside the state. However, their plans were disrupted when thugs reportedly seized the mortuary attendant, preventing access to the bodies.
Condemning the disruption, the All Progressives Congress in the state described the act as disgraceful. In a statement, the state publicity secretary, Daniel Ihomun, alleged that the attack was sponsored.
The statement read in part: “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 the manner in which they lay their loved ones to rest and to draw the attention of the world to the ongoing suffering and systematic killings being perpetrated against them by armed Fulani bandits.
“It is deeply troubling that in the face of relentless attacks and loss of lives, the people are now being denied even the basic humanity of burying their dead. One must ask: can the people not even be allowed to bury their dead in peace?
“While we commiserate with the grieving families and the entire Turan community over this painful tragedy, we commend Mr. Alex Barbir who travelled all the way from the United States of America 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 as well as assist in rebuilding homes destroyed by the attackers.”
The party also expressed gratitude to Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo of Plateau State, who officiated at the mass burial, and appealed to the state government to investigate “the abduction of the mortuary attendant, the sealing of the mortuary, and the harassment of the Turan community.”
Similarly, the President General of Mdzough U Tiv Worldwide, retired Comptroller General of Prisons, Iorbee Ihagh, condemned the act as shameful. He said, “I don’t know why anybody should be against the burial of the people who were victims of Fulani herdsmen.
“It’s very shameful because people came from far away, even outside the country. The mortuary attendant was not seen and the place was locked. The people wanted to force the place open but the priest said no, they should not do that.”
When contacted, the Chairman of Kwande LGA, Neji Terhile, said that those organizing the mass burial did not account for the volatility of the area. He added that some victims had already been buried and that he was on his way to the community with Homeland Security and other agencies.
He urged caution and warned against politicizing the situation, saying, “I am sure you are aware that these people slept in their houses and Fulanis came and attacked them. So now, in a community where Fulanis are carrying out attacks, you are mobilising for a mass burial — is it not a death trap that they are inviting?”
