BENUE – The lawmaker representing Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency, Terseer Ugbor, has blamed illegal mining activities for escalating insecurity in Kwande Local Government Area, following a deadly attack on Abande community that left at least 17 people dead, including a police officer.
The attack, allegedly carried out by armed herdsmen, occurred on Tuesday during a busy market day, leaving several residents injured and others missing.
Ugbor condemned the incident as preventable, lamenting the failure of security agencies to act on prior warnings. He highlighted that Abande is a strategic border community, sharing boundaries with Cameroon and Taraba State, making it prone to cross-border criminal activity.
“The assailants invaded the market in their hundreds, shooting at innocent villagers. A Mobile Police officer on duty was killed, while two others narrowly escaped,” Ugbor said. He warned that the casualty figure could rise as search operations continue.
The lawmaker called for urgent military intervention, particularly air operations, to dismantle criminal camps in the area. He also linked the insecurity to illegal mining, warning that the extraction of gold, lithium, iron ore, and other minerals has attracted armed groups and intensified banditry.
Ugbor urged federal and state authorities to act decisively to prevent further loss of lives in the border areas of Benue, Taraba, and Cameroon.
