Security First: Och’Otukpo Orders Herders to Vacate Community

By OKOH Adimanyi

The Och’Otukpo Odu, Chief Dr. John Eimonye, OON, JP, has ordered all herders to vacate every part of Otukpo land following Sunday’s deadly attack on Otukpo Nobi Village in Otukpo District of Benue State.

The directive was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the Secretary of the Otukpo District Traditional Council, Chief Udeh Adole. According to the traditional ruler, the decision became necessary due to increasing concerns that the continued presence of herders in the area poses a serious threat to the safety and security of residents.
The statement alleged that the attack on Otukpo Nobi Village was carried out by armed herders, leading to casualties. However, as of the time of filing this report, security agencies had not officially confirmed the incident.
Chief Eimonye stressed that the directive should not be viewed as an act of prejudice or ethnic profiling but as a step taken to safeguard lives and restore peace across the kingdom.
He expressed concern over what he described as the continued vulnerability of communities to recurring attacks, lamenting that residents had been left at the mercy of criminal elements.
The monarch also called on relevant security agencies and government authorities to take decisive action to protect lives and property, emphasizing that the people of Otukpo deserve to live and carry out their lawful activities without fear.
Reaffirming his commitment to defending the interests of the Otukpo Abakwu Kingdom, Chief Eimonye declared that the district would not bow to insecurity or external threats under his leadership.
The statement was signed by the Secretary of the Otukpo District Traditional Council, Chief Udeh Adole.