Residents of villages in Okpokwu to Ogbadibo Local Government Areas in Benue state have expressed concern over the occupation of the forests on the highway by herdsmen suspected to be terrorists.
The residents raised the alarm that the suspected herders have converted the forests into their base and openly engage in attacks and kidnappings of commuters on the Otukpo-Ugbokolo-Otukpa-Orokam road unchallenged.
A journalist, an indigene of the Orokam community in Benue State who refused his name to be mentioned, said on Saturday that the armed men operate in the communities unhindered.
He disclosed that “from the information we have received so far from persons that were kidnapped and released after ransom was paid, the gang members are made up of Fulani herdsmen. The hotbed of their operations is that stretch of road between Ugbokolo and Otukpa.”
There is a thick forest called Okungaga, which is one of the places they have converted to their base.
“These are people who go around with superior weapons, and we heard that from that point, they also take their victims on foot for hours through thick forests to other parts of Idoma land down in Ado LGA and Otukpa in Ogbadibo LGA to keep them, while they negotiate for ransom before releasing them.
“As we speak the Otukpo-Ugbokolo-Otukpa-Orokam highway is completely unsafe for anyone to travel on, especially at night.
“Unfortunately security agencies seem so helpless to tackle the menace as no decisive action has been taken to deal with the situation to rout them out.
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“The local Vigilante and the Benue State Community Volunteer Guards cannot also confront them because the marauders wield automatic weapons and no one in his right sense will dare confront them.”
He said the armed men also wear military camouflage and barricade the road pretending to be military personnel on night duty to rob and kidnap innocent travellers and road users.
