The Benue State government announced on Tuesday that 107 individuals injured in the Yelwata incident are currently receiving care at the Benue State Teaching Hospital in Makurdi.
James Iorpuu, the permanent secretary of the Benue Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, made this revelation during a press briefing held in Makurdi.
On June 13, suspected herdsmen launched an attack on the Yelwata community, resulting in over 100 fatalities. Mr Iorpuu, who also serves as the executive secretary of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), highlighted that the state has experienced a series of coordinated attacks by bandits since 2011.
He expressed his hope that the tragic events in Yelwata, which he asserted are unprecedented globally, would never be repeated in any community.
Iorpuu commended his colleagues from Nasarawa and Plateau states for their solidarity and condolences following the horrific incident.
Earlier, Sunday Abdu, the executive secretary of Plateau SEMA, along with Ben Akwash, director-general of Nasarawa SEMA, visited Benue to offer their support. Mr Abdu expressed their condolences to the people of Benue and SEMA regarding the Yelwata attack, assuring that both Benue and the nation would rise above such violence.
He encouraged the community to continue praying for the North-Central region to overcome the persistent attacks on innocent citizens. Mr Akwash, while extending his sympathies, reminded everyone that Benue, Nasarawa, and Plateau were once a unified entity before their division into separate states. He also noted their intention to learn from Benue SEMA’s operations to enhance their own practices.
(NAN)