From David Torough, Makurdi 

A Socio-cultural organization, Ede-ma Development Association (EDE-MA), has backed Edumoga Youth Movement (EYM) and Edumoga Youth Association in its efforts to abolish cultism in Edumoga District of Okpokwu local government area of Benue State.

EYM had recently embarked on a land cleansing ritual, which involved oath-taking by especially youths living in Edumoga District to denounce cultism following a bloodbath arising from cult killings among rival groups.

The cult killings had shutdown the Polytechnic town of Ugbokolo, Ichakwu and Efoyo as well as Amejo Council Ward in the local government area for over two weeks as rival cult groups went on rampage and killed members of rival groups.

In a statement signed by EDE-MA’s National President and Secretary,  Okoh Michael Agbam and  Matthew Oboyi, on Friday, the organisation declared total support to the EYM in their battle but cautioned the group to carry out the initiative in accordance with the culture and tradition of the Idoma nation.

EDA questioned alleged inaction by the police in Okpokwu local government when rival cult groups reportedly killed about 10 persons including an innocent youth, which led to a protest.

The police hastily arrested the youth leader of EYM in charge of Ugbokolo, John Agboji Audu, following a petition with unproven allegations by a suspected cult leader in Benue South, John Okwori.

EDE-MA urged the police to do a background check on the petitioner and release the youth leader unconditionally.

It also called on the Benue State Government to set up a panel to investigate increasing cult activities in Benue South, in particular and the state in general.

The socio- cultural organization said, it had kept mute since the commencement of the cult killings because it had thought that security agencies, especially the police, were on ground in the crisis areas  to restore public order and confidence.

“Our calm resolve not to immediately speak out was informed by the logic that doing so might be too pre-emptive without proper understanding of the underlying issues surrounding the violence, and of course, it could also be mistaken for outright bias.

“Secondly, we had also expected that the security agencies, especially the Nigerian Police Force, are fully on ground and therefore ought to have quickly responded to such open criminality to restore public order and confidence. This was however not the case in view of the litany of violence in which cult groups openly chase and hack perceived rivals to death in broad day light,” Agbam and Oboyi said in the statement.

 “We believe that the vacuum created by police inaction may have inspired protests that ultimately degenerated to mob actions by angry residents following the cult killings, which the Edumoga Youth Association (EYA) and Edumoga Youth Movement (EYM) eventually had to intercede and moderate to restore order,” it also said.

EDE-MA commended EYA and EYM for  what it described as strategic initiative to end the malaise of cultism in Edumoga land by enjoining the youth, community and traditional leaders in Amejo, Okonobo and Ugbokolo wards to take oath not to belong to any cult group.

“We had restrained ourselves from making any public comment on the recent unfortunate cult violence that had rocked and literally grounded Ugbokolo Town and surrounding communities of Amejo and Okonobo wards in Edumoga District of Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State.

“Secondly, we had also expected that the security agencies, especially the Nigerian Police Force, are fully on ground and therefore ought to have quickly responded to such open criminality to restore public order and confidence. This was however not the case in view of the litany of violence in which cult groups openly chase and hack perceived rivals to death in broad day light.

“We believe that the vacuum created by police inaction may have inspired protests that ultimately degenerated to mob actions by angry residents following the cult killings, which the Edumoga Youth Association (EYA) and Edumoga Youth Movement (EYM) eventually had to intercede and moderate to restore order.

“We wish to use this opportunity to commend the resolve of both EYA and EYM for their intervention that ended the daily cult killings. We equally commend them for the strategic initiative to end the malaise of cultism in Edumoga land by enjoining the youth, community and traditional leaders in Amejo, Okonobo and Ugbokolo wards to take oath not to belong to any cult group.

“While the initiative or strategy of oath-taking to renounce cultism may not be fool proof, it is however a traditional method with proven capacity to eliminate or appreciably reduce the menace of cultism and other forms of criminality from Edumoga. In this regard, we enjoin especially the traditional rulers in Edumoga District to give their support and ensure that the exercise is conducted with utmost decorum and civility in line with our culture and tradition.

“As a law-abiding and development-conscious organisation, Ede-ma Development Association (EDE-MA) is worried that the police who are on ground in Ugbokolo and Okpokwu LGA, and who were helpless in the face of the rampant cult killings in Ugbokolo for over two weeks without making a single arrest suddenly leapt to action on the basis of a mere petition by no other person but an alleged cult leader, John Okwori, against Agboji John Audu and some EYA and EYM leaders.

“While we do not, and will never, support a resort to self-help, jungle justice or any form of criminality, we are surprised that the police responded to Mr Okwori’s petition in the manner they did when they failed to undertake any preliminary investigation of the matter, including background checks on the character of the petitioner.

“We are appalled that the police seem to have ignored about 10 homicide incidents and prioritised and prosperity everywhere,” the statement concluded.