…the burial arrangements were disrupted when some thugs reportedly stormed the hospital, abducted the mortuary attendant, and locked up the mortuary,
BENUE, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | Thugs on Thursday abducted a mortuary attendant at NKST Hospital in Jato Aka, the headquarters of Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, identified as MT Tiga, in an alleged attempt to stop a planned mass burial for victims of a bandit attack on the Tyungu Jam and Mbaav communities.
According to reports gathered by The iNews Times, the abduction prevented relatives of the victims from accessing the bodies deposited at the mortuary, as there was no official available to attend to them.
Bandits had earlier attacked Tyungu Jam and Mbaav in the Yaav and Mbadura council wards of Kwande LGA on March 5, killing several residents and leaving many others injured.
Reacting to the incident, Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, condemned the killings as “senseless and barbaric.” In a statement issued by his media aide, Solomon Iorpev, the governor urged security agencies to track down and arrest those responsible.
It was further gathered that 11 victims were scheduled to be buried in a mass burial on Thursday, an event that had attracted mourners and priests from within and outside the state.
However, the burial arrangements were disrupted when some thugs reportedly stormed the hospital, abducted the mortuary attendant, and locked up the mortuary, preventing families from retrieving the bodies of their loved ones.
The Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress condemned the disruption by the thugs, describing it as disgraceful and alleging that the act was sponsored.
In a statement signed by the party’s publicity secretary, Daniel Ihomun, the APC said it received reports that sponsored thugs abducted the mortuary attendant and shut the facility in a bid to stop residents of Turan from conducting the mass burial for those killed in Mbachoon, Yaav District of Kwande LGA.
The party described the action as inhumane and an attempt to deny the community the right to mourn and bury their dead with dignity. It added that the people of Turan had the right to decide how to lay their loved ones to rest and to draw attention to the continued attacks they face from armed Fulani bandits.
While sympathising with the bereaved families and the Turan community, the party also commended Alex Barbir, who reportedly travelled from the United States to show solidarity with the community and witness the burial, while supporting efforts to bring international attention to the killings in Benue.
Also reacting, the President-General of Mdzough U Tiv Worldwide and former Comptroller-General of Prisons, Iorbee Ihagh, described the development as shameful.
He said many people had travelled long distances, including from outside the country, only to discover that the mortuary attendant was missing and the facility locked. Ihagh added that although some residents considered forcing the mortuary open, a priest advised them against doing so.
When contacted, the Chairman of Kwande Local Government Area, Neji Terhile, said those who organised the mass burial did not fully consider the security situation in the area.
He noted that some of the victims had already been buried, adding that organising a mass burial in such a volatile community could expose residents to further danger. According to him, the victims were attacked in their homes by suspected Fulani assailants, and gathering people for a mass burial under such conditions could become a “death trap.”
