Och’Otukpo Orders Herders to Leave Community After Deadly Attack

By OKOH Adimanyi

The Och’Otukpo Odu, Chief Dr. John Eimonye, OON, JP, has directed all herders to vacate every part of Otukpo land following Sunday’s deadly attack on Otukpo Nobi Village in Otukpo District, Benue State.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the Secretary of the Otukpo District Traditional Council, Chief Udeh Adole, the traditional ruler said the directive became necessary over growing concerns that the continued presence of herders in the area posed a serious threat to the safety and security of the people.
The statement alleged that the attack on Otukpo Nobi Village was carried out by armed herders, resulting in casualties. However, no official confirmation had been issued by security agencies at the time of filing this report.
Chief Eimonye said the directive should not be construed as an act of prejudice or ethnic profiling, but as a measure aimed at safeguarding lives and restoring peace in the kingdom.
He lamented what he described as the continued vulnerability of communities in the area to recurring attacks, expressing concern that residents had been left at the mercy of criminal elements.
The monarch called on the relevant security agencies and government authorities to take decisive action to protect lives and property, stressing that the people of Otukpo deserved to live and carry out their lawful activities without fear.
He reaffirmed his commitment to defending the interests of the Otukpo Abakwu Kingdom, declaring that the district would not succumb to insecurity or external threats under his leadership.
The statement was signed by Chief Udeh Adole, Secretary of the Otukpo District Traditional Council.