Thousands of youths in Gboko Local Government Area of the state, on Tuesday, took over the streets and held road users and businesses to ransom as they protest the suspension of the LG Chairman, Mrs Becky Orpin.
Mrs Orpin was on Monday, suspended by the Benue State House of Assembly alongside other five Council chairmen including chairmen of Makurdi, Oju, Obi, Kwande and Agatu LG for gross misconduct, misappropriation of local government funds and abuse of office.
The protest, which started early hours of Tuesday, grounded business activities to a halt as all shops and office premises were forced to close while many commuters were left stranded at various points in the town.
An eyewitness who is resident in Gboko told our correspondent that the youths blocked the streets with car tyres which they burnt at various points.
The source which pleaded to remain anonymous for security reasons said the youth bore placards with various inscriptions, some of which read; “No Beckie, No Gboko”, “Vote of No Confidence Passed on PDP Government” among others
According to him, the youths went on rampage and were selectively destroying billboards and other campaign material belonging to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
He expressed the fear that danger and instability are imminent in Gboko and called on authorities to bring calm to the area.
“Gboko is in a state of total disarray as we speak. The youths in the town are rampaging and protesting the suspension of the Chairman of Gboko Local Government, Mrs. Becky Orpin. Every symbol of PDP in sight is destroyed, and businesses are shutdown.
“Danger and instability are imminent in Gboko. Although the youths are not killing anyone yet but they are visibly going around with sticks and matchets in their hands”, the source said.
Meanwhile, the rampaging youths have attacked the residence of the Executive Chairman of Board of Internal Revenue Service, BIRS, Terzungwe Atser, in Gboko.
A press release by his media aide, Denis Mernyi said the Executive Chairman was absent at the time of the attack and has been making efforts to get the security agencies to deploy personnel to the scene to forstall normalcy.
According to him, the Executive Chairman’s wife, Mrs Atser was held hostage in the house by the thugs while the operation lasted.
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The attackers she disclosed numbered over 40 carrying dangerous weapons with APC flags on 20 motorcycles.
According to her, they were however, not harmed by the thugs but they were subjected to psycological trauma just as she reported that some portions of the residents were touched.
She said the gangsters were chanting war songs like, “for removing Mrs. Orpin, Gboko is already a no go area for Governor Ortom and his People Democratic Party (PDP).
“We are in charge here and we have our security, Police can’t do us anything”, among others.
Commenting on the sad development, Atser who was in his office in Makurdi at the time of the attack called for calm and prayers for his family urging government to step up security in the state to curb the menace of the miscreants.
