A member of the House of Representatives, Blessing Onuh, has sounded the alarm about the rising violence in the Otupko/Ohimini Federal Constituency of Benue State, stating that the assaults on communities equate to genocide.
Onuh made this statement during a plenary session on Thursday, highlighting that once-peaceful villages in her constituency have now become battlegrounds due to heavily armed assailants.
She cautioned that referring to the situation as banditry would diminish the severity of the attacks on innocent civilians.
She expressed, “I hail from Benue State, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank you for dedicating this entire week to tackling the insecurity that has plagued us as a nation. I also want to acknowledge the previous speaker for his input, which I fully support and will further stress.
“Years ago, I could proudly say that such violence would never reach my constituency, Otupko/Ohimini Federal Constituency. But now, a once peaceful community has turned into a haven for criminals.
“We can no longer call this mere banditry. Our nation is under siege. Our country is under attack. This is not banditry; it is terrorism at its worst. It is genocide.”
This warning follows a recent brutal attack on the Anwule community in Ohimini Local Government Area, where armed men allegedly invaded multiple villages, including a farm, resulting in the destruction of homes and farmland. Survivors remain in shock, and many residents have fled the region. Months prior, similar assaults took place in the Otobi and Akpa communities within Otupko LGA.
Residents there are still dealing with the consequences, including ruined homes, deserted farms, and the trauma from killings and kidnappings that have claimed numerous lives.
Other affected communities include Odudauje and Adoka, where fear and displacement continue to overshadow everyday life.