By Henry Ibya, Makurdi
Five members of the Benue State House of Assembly including Saater Tiseer- Majority Leader, Bemdoo Ipusu- Chief whip, Samuel Jiji, Simon Gabo and Cephas Dyako, Thursday, narrowly escaped assassination from the hands of gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.
The five lawmakers were returning from Katsina-ala after an official function where they conducted a public hearing on a bill for a law to provide for the establishment of Benue State Civil Protection Guards and for purposes connected there with where the incidence occurred at Tyo-Mu.
Speaker of the Benue Assembly, Aondona Dajo who disclosed this in a statement condemned in strong terms what he described as unwarranted attack on the members, expressing disbelief that other law-abiding citizens of the state has come under similar attack by the herders recently.
Dajo in a statement signed by the House Committee Chairman on Information and Orientation, Elias Audu made available to Journalists Friday, in Makurdi, lamented that the attackers numbering over 40 riding on motorcycles have also attacked residents of Tyo- Mu Community before ambushing convoy of the Lawmakers at the same area shooting severally at the vehicles conveying members.
He recalled with sadness that before the recent attack, residents of Tyo-Mu and Mbakera communities have been invaded by the herders for many days unchallenged, stressing that their actions were neither coincidental, especially by their mode of operation which has demonstrated that the herders were carrying out a carefully planned onslaught on a people they perceive as their enemies.
The Benue House of Assembly Speaker equally expressed deep concern while members were attacked on the day of public hearing on a bill bothering on security.
While calling on security agents to unravel the circumstances behind the attempted assassination on the five lawmakers, the speaker urged the police to arrest the terrorists with the aim of bringing them to justice.