The residence of the former Governor of Benue State, Aper Aku, located in Gboko, was reportedly set on fire by hoodlums, as per reports received.
The incident is said to have taken place on a Monday, after the occupants of the house had been safely evacuated.
Deborah Aku, the daughter of the deceased governor, informed the press in Makurdi that the police managed to rescue six individuals before the hoodlums set fire to the property.
She recounted that the troubles began in March when a man armed with a machete visited their home and threatened them, claiming that his goat had died after drinking water from their premises.
Aku mentioned that her mother reported the incident to the Gboko Police Division, leading to legal action being taken.
However, she revealed that the recent attack occurred early on a Monday morning, with the hoodlums surrounding the house and trapping all six occupants.
The hostile group, numbering over 30 individuals, began causing destruction before the police could intervene, resulting in the loss of the family’s belongings and even their pet dog.
Despite the police’s arrival and rescue efforts, the house was ultimately burnt down with all its contents, leaving the family with only the clothes on their backs as they departed with law enforcement.
The previous day, the police managed to rescue us from the house just before it was set on fire, preventing a potential tragedy as there were six individuals inside at the time.
The ongoing investigations by the police are being awaited, with the incident already reported to relevant authorities, including the governor and speaker, given that it occurred within the speaker’s constituency.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Catherine Anene, confirmed the occurrence of the incident to the press in Makurdi on the following day, Tuesday.
Anene, however, mentioned that she did not possess additional information at the time of providing the statement.
Furthermore, Mkeenem Moses, the Senior Special Assistant to the Benue Governor on Youth Mobilization and Empowerment, strongly criticized the attack on the residence of Aku, the state’s first civilian governor.
Moses condemned the destruction of valuable property amounting to millions of Naira, labeling the situation as barbaric and intolerable and urging security agencies in Gboko to take immediate action to prevent further assaults in the state.
