Group demands release of 23 Benue youths in police custody

The Oju National Development Association has demanded the release of 23 youths in police custody over a recent unrest in Oju LGA of Benue State.

Our correspondent reports that the police a few days ago confirmed the arrest of 23 suspected arsonists from the scene of incident where at least one person was killed and several houses burnt on June 11, when two clans: Oju and Ibilla, fought over a land allocated to the proposed University of Applied Sciences and Technology (UNAST).

In a press statement, President of the association, Okwori Ojajah, said, “We reject the one-sided arrest and summary prosecution of 23 Oju youths as suspected fighters while no Ibilla person was arrested. It is not possible that in a situation where two groups are fighting, that the security operatives will arrest all 23 of them from one side and not a single person from the other. The fact is that most of the boys were arrested in their homes. We demand their immediate release.