The Benue State Police Command on Thursday confirmed that calm has returned to the Otobi community in Otukpo Local Government Area following a deadly attack that forced residents to flee their homes.

The command’s spokesperson, CSP Catherine Anene, in a telephone conversation with our correspondent, also dismissed reports of fresh attacks on the communities of Emichi, Okpomaju, and Odudaje, describing them as false alarms triggered by fear.

“Otobi is calm now. We left some of the troops there yesterday (Wednesday). An investigation is ongoing,” Anene said.

Meanwhile, Governor Hyacinth Alia, disclosed that some villagers were still missing following the attack.

“We lost 11 people. We have deployed more security,” the governor said during an earlier press conference, where he described the attacks as “an issue of land grabbing.”

Reacting to the development, the senator representing Benue South Senatorial District and Senate minority leader, Abba Moro, warned that if the government continues to fail in protecting lives, his people may resort to local means of defending themselves.

The senator, in a statement by Emmanuel Eche’Ofun John, his media adviser, noted that the attacks that have claimed several lives and property worth billions of naira were unacceptable.

He called on governments at all levels to wake up to their responsibility of protecting the lives and property of the people.

He commended Governor Alia for finally coming out to condemn the pogrom in the state and urged him to do more for the people, stressing that the efforts of the government at all levels were not enough.

Moro also called for the establishment of operational bases of security agencies in vulnerable communities.

He further lamented the mopping up of arms such as cutlasses, and dane guns, among others owned by ordinary people by security agents thereby rendering them vulnerable and easy targets by the suspected attackers.