PDP urges FG to stop Benue killings

The National Chairman of the PDP, Mr Uche Secondus, has told the Federal Government to address the “senseless killings going on in Benue immediately before it degenerates into a national crisis’’.

Secondus made the call in a condolence message to the Benue Governor, Mr Samuel Ortom, and the Catholic Church in Nigeria on killing of worshipers in a church in Benue by gunmen on April 24.

The gunmen murdered two Catholic priests and 17 other worshippers at St. Ignatius Quashi Catholic Church at Ukpor-Mbalom in the Gwer Local Government Area of Benue.

Secondus in the statement, issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Ike Abonyi, on Wednesday in Abuja decried the continued blood-letting in Benue and other parts of the country.

He stressed that the apparent inability of the government to stem the killings had raised a lot of concern on the future of the country.

“From whichever angle you are witnessing what is happening in this country, one thing is agreeable that this country is sliding dangerously.

“Nigerians and the global community have continued to watch.

“In the last one week, we have watched as disturbing indices continue to crop up, ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

Secondus admonished security operatives to ensure that their patriotism was to the country.

“I find it unexplainable that some group of gunmen should hold a state to ransom since January, killing and maiming citizens and destroying their houses and the security operatives appear helpless.

“Where are the military operatives that carried out Python and Crocodile dances in the South-East and South-South?

“How can anybody expect Benue State for instance to contribute its own share of the $1billion security vote when the national security architecture is not designed to protect their people?’’