At least 30 chiefs are said to have been killed in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State by youths in the area allegedly using charms and other fetish powers.
The pararamount ruler of Tyoshin community in the local government, His Royal Majesty, Chief Daniel Abomtse, disclosed this Friday during the burial ceremony of Governor Samuel Ortom’s Special Adviser in the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs (BLGCA), Elder Jerome Torshimbe in Naka, headquarters of the local government.
Chief Abomtse disclosed that the isolated killings were carried out between 2012 and 2020.
“There were isolated murder of elders on account of oracle consultation by youths using fetish powers, which sent over 30 persons to their early graves from 2012 to date.
“My council has done her best to curtail this phenomenon to no avail. We really need a government sledge hammer to descent on perpetrators and those connivers of this dastard acts and appeal to your government to speedily respond to check this ugly trend,” he said.
Chief Abomtse also lamented the loss of some worthy sons of the area, which threw the area into a state of mourning, among them the abduction and later murder of Sub-Lieutenant David Igbashal in February, 2020.
The Naval Officer was murdered between the borders of Ebonyi and Enugu states, around Ngbo community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Chief Abomtse, who cried to Governor Ortom to plead with the youth to refrain from the act, pleaded with him “to dig deep into this matter for the purpose of unravelling the mystery surrounding the alleged abduction and murder of the young and enterprising Naval Officer, with the aim of bringing the culprits to justice”.
Reacting to the allegations, Governor Ortom, who also personally graced the occasion, warned the youths to desist from the act, adding that perpetrators would be apprehended and summarily dealt with.
He stated that he has forgiven their past mistakes, but henceforth, he would not forgive perpetrators of future acts.
