The Benue State House of Assembly has given Governor Hyacinth Alia a 72-hour deadline to appoint a special security adviser.

This decision was prompted by the delay in reaching security agencies during a two-hour bank robbery in Otukpo.

The legislative ultimatum came after a motion was presented by Angbo Kennedy, the representative for the Otukpo-Akpa State constituency. Among his requests, Kennedy urged that all hotels and leisure establishments be required to maintain a guest ledger.

In response to these motions, Speaker Aondona Dajoh instructed the governor to appoint a security adviser within three days.

One of the lawmakers, Godwin Edoh, who survived the Otukpo bank robbery in which explosives were used, expressed his frustration at being unable to contact anyone in the state due to the absence of a substantive security adviser. He also noted that local government chairmen in the state had been suspended since June 2023.

Kennedy pointed out that the bank robbery in Otukpo, resulting in the deaths of Divisional Police Officer John Adikwu, three other police personnel, and six civilians, exposed weaknesses in the state’s security framework.

“Note that armed robbers numbering about 30 on motorbikes entered Otukpo town on Friday 20th October,” he said.

Angbo prayed that the security agencies should without delay establish the immediate and remote causes of the attack and fish out the perpetrators of the carnage.

He also prayed that the state government should set up a trust fund to help families and victims of violent attacks across the state with a view to offsetting medical and burial expenses.

This is in addition to the establishment of another police station in Otukpo to support emergency response.

The lawmaker also prayed to the House that the state through the ministries of health and humanitarian and disaster management provide at least two fully equipped ambulances to all 23 local government areas to help in emergency times.

One of the survivors of the Otukpo bank robbery and member representing Agatu state constancy Godwin Edoh narrated his experience and called for the scaling up of security by the Benue State Government.

“I was sitting directly behind Zenith Bank in Otukpo when the robbers opened fire and started using explosives using dynamites, and we scampered from one compound to the other and hid under a bed just to get away from the robbers.

“I was able to escape and remained in Otukpo till Sunday but each time the doors in the hotel I lodged opened, I panicked in fear as the over two hours bank robbery left me traumatized,” he added.