Residents of Tyungu Jam and Mbaav communities in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State were thrown into turmoil on Thursday after suspected criminals allegedly abducted a mortuary attendant, disrupting plans for a mass burial of victims of a recent bandit attack.
Relatives and sympathisers had gathered at the mortuary to collect the bodies when they discovered that the attendant had been taken away and the facility locked, effectively stalling the burial arrangements.
The affected communities were attacked last Thursday by bandits in the Yaav and Mbadura council wards of Kwande LGA, leaving several dead and many injured.
Reacting to the killings, Governor Hyacinth Alia, through his media aide Solomon Iorpev, condemned the attacks as senseless and barbaric, urging security agencies to apprehend the perpetrators.
The incident has drawn sharp criticism from the Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which described the disruption as disgraceful.
In a statement by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Daniel Ihomun, the APC alleged that the act was orchestrated by sponsored thugs.
The statement said the mortuary attendant, identified as MT Tiga, was allegedly abducted, and the facility sealed to prevent residents of Turan from conducting a mass burial for victims from Mbachoon in the Yaav District.
The party called the action inhumane and a violation of the community’s right to bury their deceased with dignity, urging that the people be allowed to determine their own burial rites.
Families who had postponed the burials earlier had scheduled Thursday for the ceremony, which had drawn mourners and clergy from within and outside the state. However, the proceedings were disrupted after the attendant was reportedly taken, leaving relatives unable to access the bodies.
The APC also praised Alex Barbir, who reportedly traveled from the United States to support the community and highlight the killings internationally, and Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo from Plateau State, who officiated the burial rites.
The party urged the state government to investigate the abduction, the sealing of the mortuary, and the harassment of residents.
Iorbee Ihagh, President General of Mdzough U Tiv Worldwide and a native of Turan, described the incident as shameful, questioning why anyone would obstruct burials of those killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
He noted that many sympathisers had traveled long distances, including from abroad, only to find the mortuary locked.
When contacted, Kwande LGA Chairman Neji Terhile advised caution, noting that the organisers of the burial did not consider the security situation.
He warned against politicising the incident and explained that some victims had already been laid to rest.
Terhile stressed that holding large gatherings in areas prone to repeated attacks could put more lives at risk.
