***May resort to self-defense, Demand urgent government action
The Edumoga Youth Association (EYA) has issued a stern warning of mass protests in Benue State over the rising wave of killings and kidnappings, accusing the government of failing to protect its citizens.
EYA National President, Alhaji Lucky Itodo, condemned Sunday’s abduction of 18 passengers from a Benue Links bus along the Otukpo-Otukpa highway, saying the government is losing control of the state’s security.
“We are being pushed to the wall and may have no option but to resort to self-defense,” the statement read.
Itodo described the state as being under siege, with over 100 reported kidnappings and hundreds killed this year alone, mainly in Benue South, allegedly by herdsmen and other armed groups.
He lamented the silence of political leaders, adding,
“Our people are now like sheep without a shepherd.”
EYA called on security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the kidnapped passengers and urged local vigilantes to rise to the challenge, noting that no ransom demand had yet been made.
