- Hundreds of women and young people gathered early on Friday to erect a barrier on the route connecting Makurdi with Lafia and Abuja
- Three people were killed at Ngban yesterday night and two people killed at Nyian this morning
Protests have begun along the federal highway between Makurdi and Lafia in response to the murder of five people in two villages in the Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to reports, hundreds of women and young people gathered early on Friday to erect a barrier on the route connecting Makurdi with Lafia and Abuja.
Witnesses reported that the demonstrators were still blocking the road, making it difficult for people to enter or leave Makurdi, the capital of Benue State.
According to several locals, the attackers who invaded the tranquil rural hamlet of Ngban where they killed three people on Thursday night and another two at Nyian on Friday morning, killed the five people in separate incidents.
The locals lamented that Ngban, a village hosting the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), had suffered a similar fate earlier this year when over 30 people including the IDPs were hacked to the death by the attackers.
Corroborating the villagers, the Guma LGA Security Adviser, Christopher Waku, told journalists in Makurdi the murder of the five villagers.
Our women have trooped out to the Makurdi-Abuja federal highway since 5am today (Friday) as you can hear from background of the telephone conversation. Right now, they are singing emotional songs and no vehicle coming from either Abuja or Makurdi can pass through to either side.
The women are protesting the murder of five people killed yesterday (Thursday) night and this morning (Friday).
Three people were killed at Ngban yesterday night and two people killed at Nyian this morning. The women have said that they are not going to leave the road until the governor comes and talk to them. I’m right now on the road where the women are protesting waiting for Governor Hyacinth Alia, Waku said.
It was gathered that the governor was preparing to visit the scene of the protest which is about 45 minutes drive from Makurdi township.
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