The Umogidi community in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State which suffered a deadly invasion months ago has benefited from solar street lights to brighten the vicinity and possibly wade off attackers.
Our correspondent reports that the Tri-State Idoma Association in New Jersey, USA, installed over 30 solar lights in Umogidi community where over 54 people were killed in April, 2023.
The association made the donation through one of its members in New Jersey, Mrs Christie Ekainu Ndukwe, who is an indigene of the affected community in an effort to put smiles back in the faces of victims of the attack.
Ndukwe while delivering the intervention disclosed that the leadership and entire members of the association in the USA sent their condolences to the families of the people killed, adding that they want to help lighten the community at night.
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Responding, Chairman of Umogidi Crisis Management Committee, Ajene Otache, hailed the Tri-State, Idoma Association for coming to their aid and promised to ensure all the lights are maintained.
In a similar development, Emancipation Center for Crisis Victims in Nigeria (ECCVN) also distributed food and cash to widows and injured persons for the yuletide.
The beaded chief of the community, Och’Umogidi, Okpleko, in his speech during the visit of the benefactors, noted that the solar light intervention was very timely and is one of the major factors that encouraged the return of his people because it made it easier for the community vigilante to work.
Okpleko added that Umogidi now looks like the USA at night, especially during this yuletide season.
The royal father also appreciated ECCVN from Jos, for remembering the widows and injured people of last year’s April attack in his community with food and cash.
He further called on the Benue State government to always remember the widows and orphans from the Umogidi attack too in their interventions and support across the state including the construction of the 15km death trap road that leads to the village from Adoka.
Okpleko stressed that the bad road was the shortest route to the Federal College of Education in Odugbo, just as he drew the attention of the federal government to hasten up work on the recently approved Nigeria Mopol 13 squadron in Odugbo Apa LGA which is 15km away from Umogidi too for quick response to any security threat within the axis.