Ochetoha K’Idoma Demands Decisive Military Action After Deadly Akpa Otobi Attack

Ochetoha K’Idoma, the apex socio cultural organisation of the Idoma Nation, has called on the Federal Government to take decisive military action following a deadly attack on Akpa Otobi community in Benue State that claimed four lives. In a statement signed by Professor Yakubu A. Ochefu, President General of Ochetoha K’Idoma, and Chief Dr Paul […]

Ochetoha K’Idoma, the apex socio cultural organisation of the Idoma Nation, has called on the Federal Government to take decisive military action following a deadly attack on Akpa Otobi community in Benue State that claimed four lives.

In a statement signed by Professor Yakubu A. Ochefu, President General of Ochetoha K’Idoma, and Chief Dr Paul Edeh, Secretary General, the organisation condemned what it described as “a brutal and unprovoked attack” carried out in the early hours of Tuesday, January 13, 2026.

According to an Emergency Situation Report issued by the Benue State Civil Protection Guards at the Benue South Headquarters, kidnappers invaded Akpa Otobi and adjoining settlements, opening fire indiscriminately at a local provision shop while attempting to procure supplies for persons held captive in nearby forests.

Ochetoha K’Idoma said the circumstances surrounding the attack showed clearly that it was neither accidental nor spontaneous.

“It is evident that this was not a random criminal act but a deliberate and calculated operation carried out with full knowledge of the terrain, reflecting the growing boldness of armed groups operating within our homeland,” the statement said.

The organisation disclosed that those killed included a former Local Government Councillor known for grassroots leadership and community service, as well as a serving member of the Nigerian Armed Forces who was on authorised leave at the time of the attack.

Reacting to the killing of the soldier, Ochetoha K’Idoma warned of its wider national implications, stating that “the killing of a serving soldier on Nigerian soil, in his own community, constitutes a direct challenge to the authority, credibility, and sovereign responsibility of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

While extending condolences to the bereaved families and the Idoma Nation, the organisation noted that the Akpa Otobi incident was part of a broader and sustained pattern of violence across Idoma land.

“This tragedy must be understood within a wider and deeply troubling context,” the group said, adding that repeated attacks along the same axis have placed communities under siege. “Farmers can no longer access their farms, traders are unable to move goods to market, and entire rural economies have been paralysed through fear and displacement.”

Ochetoha K’Idoma further described the situation as “a systematic campaign of economic and territorial destruction designed to empty communities, sever people from their land, and establish criminal control over forests and transit corridors within the Idoma Nation.”