Ortom imposes dusk to dawn curfew as youths kill 7 in Gboko

macfranc007 February 01, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Nnenna Ibeh

- The Benue state governor has imposed a dusk to dawn curfew in Gboko town

- The curfew will begin from 6pm to 6am on January 31 and continue till further notice

- The police also confirmed that seven travellers were killed and burnt to ashes by some youths in the area

The Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom, on Wednesday, January 31, imposed a dusk to dawn curfew in Gboko area of the state.

Ortom approved the curfew following a recent killing of seven people by some youths in the town.

The Benue state commissioner of police, Fatai Owoseni, while briefing journalists said the victims were travelling either to Okene in Kogi state or Taraba state when the hoodlums attacked them.

Owoseni said the victims were also burnt to ashes by their attackers.

He added that some police officers who were deployed to the area were also attacked by the criminals.

He said: “We got information around 11am this morning that some hoodlums believed to be of Tiv stock between 9.30am and 10.am stormed a garage in Gboko where they attacked seven people believed to be of Fulani extraction, killed and burnt them.

“The passengers were said to be in the park where they were trying to board a commercial vehicle to Okene or Taraba. The police in the area of the attack got information and rushed to the place but the criminals embarked on hurling stones at the police."

Dismissing ethnic, religion or political coloration, Owoseni said, the attack is "pure banditry”.

“To me, this will further escalate the security challenges that we are facing in the state, it is necessary to emphasize that the police will not hesitate to deal decisively with criminal elements who want to take advantage of the situation," Owoseni said.

Meanwhile, the special adviser to the Benue state governor on media, Tahav Agerzua, said the curfew will continue in the area till further notice.

Agerzua said the curfew in Gboko will last from 6pm to 6am everyday as a result of security threats in the area.

"Those exempted from the curfew are those on essential services such as hospital staff and others who show convincing identification.

"He has directed security agencies particularly the police and the army to provide round the clock surveillance in the town so as to forestall a breach of the peace.

"The Governor has appealed to residents of Gboko to comply with the curfew in their own interest as security operatives have been directed to arrest those found moving about in the town during the period of the curfew," Agerzua said.

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NAIJ.com earlier reported that President Muhamadu Buhari said it is incorrect to assume that he has not done anything about the Benue killings.

The president said the federal government is initiating measures to address the killings and other security challenges, alleviate their consequences and forestall re-occurrence.

Also, the Nigerian Senate has summoned the inspector general of police, Ibrahim Idris for allegedly failing to arrest those behind Benue killings.

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