Eighteen arrested following violent protest in Benue State

Eighteen people have been arrested by police in connection with a violent protest that erupted in Ukum Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State, Nigeria.

The protest, which occurred on Wednesday, reportedly turned violent as demonstrators expressed outrage over incessant killings in the area.

The Police Public Relations Officer for the state command, SP Catherine Anene, disclosed this in a statement issued and made available to journalists in Makurdi on Thursday.

Anene said that the state Commissioner of Police, Hassan Yabanet, has relocated to the troubled local government.

Recall that some youths had protested the killing of people in Ayati village by local bandits resulting in the destruction of personal and government properties by the protesters.

Following the violent protest, the state governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, declared a 24-hour curfew in the local government.

Anene, in the statement, explained that the troubled local government had witnessed more security operatives deployed to the area.

The statement read in part, “It is worthy of note that Ukum is a boundary area between Benue and Taraba state which has been a turbulent area in the state.

“This turbulence increased after the death of the dreaded popular Gana and Ukum has attracted the highest deployment of security agents in the state.

“The deployment is made to curtail activities of bandits that are found in three LGAs; Ukum, Logo, and Kastina-Ala collectively called Sankera axis.

“At about 0800hrs, violent protesters in hundreds began a protest sponsored by criminals to unleash mayhem on the people and destabilize the security network that has prevented them from operating freely in the area, especially with recent successful operations that dislodged several bandit camps in the last two months.

“During this violent protest, personal and government properties were destroyed. These hoodlums also attempted to invade the Ukum Police Division but were repelled by officers on guard duty.

“The Commissioner of Police, Benue state command, CP. Hassan Steve Yabanet has since moved to the area with tactical teams and heads of other security agents to forestall further breakdown of law and order.

“Eighteen suspects have been arrested and the investigation is ongoing.”

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