Thugs abduct mortuary attendant, disrupt mass burial in Benue

Suspected thugs on Thursday abducted a mortuary attendant at NKST Hospital in Jato Aka, the headquarters of Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, disrupting a planned mass burial for victims of a recent bandit attack.

The attendant, identified as MT Tiga, was reportedly taken away by the attackers who allegedly sought to stop the burial of victims killed in Tyungu Jam and Mbaav communities.

The incident prevented grieving families from accessing the bodies of their relatives deposited at the hospital mortuary, as there was no official available to attend to them.

Bandits had attacked Tyungu Jam and Mbaav communities in Yaav and Mbadura council wards of Kwande LGA on March 5, killing several residents and leaving many others injured.

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, condemned the attack, describing the killings as “senseless and barbaric.” In a statement issued by his media aide, Solomon Iorpev, the governor called on security agencies to track down and arrest those responsible.

Sources said 11 victims of the attack were scheduled to be buried in a mass burial ceremony on Thursday, which had attracted relatives, sympathisers and priests from within and outside the state.

However, the burial process was halted when the suspected thugs allegedly stormed the hospital, abducted the mortuary attendant and locked the mortuary, thereby preventing families from retrieving the corpses.

Reacting to the development, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue condemned the incident, describing it as disgraceful and politically motivated.

In a statement issued by the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Daniel Ihomun, the APC alleged that the disruption was carried out by sponsored thugs in an attempt to stop the people of Turan from conducting a mass burial for those killed in the attack.

The statement said the act was inhumane and an infringement on the community’s right to mourn and bury their dead with dignity.

The party also commended Alex Barbir, who reportedly travelled from the United States to show solidarity with the community and support efforts to highlight the killings to the international community.

Similarly, the President-General of Mdzough U Tiv Worldwide, retired Comptroller-General of Prisons Iorbee Ihagh, described the incident as shameful.

According to him, several people had travelled long distances, including from outside the country, for the burial, only to discover that the mortuary attendant was missing and the facility locked.

He added that some youths wanted to force open the mortuary but were restrained by a priest.

When contacted, the Chairman of Kwande Local Government Area, Neji Terhile, said those organising the mass burial failed to consider the volatile security situation in the area.

Terhile explained that since the victims were attacked in their homes by suspected Fulani assailants, organising a mass burial in the same community could pose serious security risks.

He added that some of the victims had already been buried by their families.