Fresh security concerns have engulfed Guma and Vandeikya Local Government Areas of Benue State, prompting the relocation of official council offices by their respective chairmen in response to growing threats.
In Guma, home of former Governor Chief Samuel Ortom, the council chairman, Maurice Orwough, announced the relocation of his official office from Gbajimba to Daudu. Similarly, his counterpart in Vandeikya, who also serves as the State Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Dennis Guda Terkura, has moved his office to Tsar, a border community near Obudu in Cross River State.
This decision followed the gruesome murder of a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Ternege Iorkyaa Ikpanor, allegedly by criminals linked to a communal conflict in that area.
In a viral video recorded in Tsar, Guda lamented the deteriorating security situation in Vandeikya, particularly after the killing of Ikpanor. He urged residents to remain calm and avoid reprisals, assuring them that he is working with security agencies to restore peace. He also announced that all official council activities would henceforth be conducted from Tsar until further notice.
Meanwhile, Orwough, in a statement issued by his Personal Assistant on Communication and Strategy, Mr. Ernest Tortiv, explained that his decision to relocate to Daudu was driven by a desire to stay closer to the people and understand the security challenges they face.
He also disclosed that the Guma Local Government Secretariat and the Chairman’s Lodge in Gbajimba are currently undergoing renovation and would be ready for use soon.
The Guma chairman appealed for continued support from stakeholders and reaffirmed his commitment to tackling insecurity in the area.
In a related development, the APC in Benue State, under the leadership of Comrade Austin Agada, has condemned the murder of Mr. Ikpanor in Obudu, Cross River State. In a statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Daniel Ihomun, the party expressed condolences to the Ikpanor Agege family and the people of Vandeikya.
The party described Ikpanor’s death as “a tragic reminder of how human life has become increasingly devalued in our society,” noting that he was allegedly killed by a mob over a land dispute between the Mbazerem people of Mbaduku in Benue and the Abonkip community in Obudu.
“This disturbing incident underscores a deeper loss of our collective humanity and sense of brotherhood,” the statement said.
The APC called on security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into the killing, arrest all those involved, and ensure justice is served. The party also urged Governor Hyacinth Alia to engage with the Cross River State Government to resolve the lingering land dispute and prevent further violence.
