ETP joins mass burial of 16 Benue victims, fonates to bereaved families

By Johnson Arua

An American-based non-governmental organisation, Equipping the Persecuted (ETP), has joined other sympathisers at Efeyi-Utikpi community in Ugboju District of Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State for the mass burial of 16 indigenes killed in a suspected armed herders’ attack.

The victims were gruesomely murdered in the early hours of July 28, 2026, in an attack that left the community devastated and mourning the loss of its members.

Speaking during the funeral ceremony on Saturday, the Benue State Representative of ETP, Comrade Andy Nomsoor, condoled with the bereaved families and expressed concern over the continued killings of Benue residents by armed attackers.

Nomsoor lamented what he described as the failure of governments at all levels to take proactive measures capable of ending the recurring attacks and killings of innocent farmers in the state.

He conveyed the condolences of ETP’s Chief Executive Officer, Judd Saul, and its Media Relations Officer, Barrister Franc Utoo, a Benue indigene based in the United States, to the people of Efeyi-Utikpi and the entire Ugboju community.

He assured the community that ETP would not relent in its efforts to support victims of violence and advocate an end to the killings of innocent farmers in Benue and other parts of Nigeria.

According to him, the organisation remained committed to the welfare of persecuted Christians in Nigeria and would continue to provide humanitarian assistance and advocate for affected communities until decisive measures were taken to restore lasting peace.

Nomsoor also announced a cash donation to the bereaved families and the community to strengthen security in the area, assuring them of the organisation’s continued support.

He recalled that ETP had earlier visited victims of the attack receiving treatment in Otukpo and assisted with the payment of their medical bills.

He added that the organisation had also sponsored the treatment of critically injured victims at the National Hospital, Abuja, and the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi.

In separate remarks, the councillor representing Ugboju/Otahe Council Ward, Hon. Sunday Ameh, and Emmanuel Ogolekwu, who lost relatives in the attack, expressed appreciation to ETP for its humanitarian intervention.

They commended the organisation for its continued support to the affected families and community, praying for strength and resources for ETP to sustain its assistance to victims of violence.