Nigerian Newsday

Armed thugs operating under the name of Idoma Youth Vanguard have allegedly launched a violent attack on members of Opiatohak Idoma at Igumale, the council headquarters of Ado Local Government of Benue State inflicting injuries on the secretary, Mr. Adoka Adaji.

Nigerian Newsday findings revealed that, a car belonging to the chairman of Opiatoha k' Idoma, Chief Baba Odangla was also vandalized when the suspected thugs arrived in two buses at Igumele where the meeting was slated to hold and shot sporadically in the air making people to flee for their lives.

It was gathered that the meeting was to discuss Senator David Mark's support for the demised 3^{rd term agenda while the attackers alleged to be loyal to the senator set out to abort the meeting by all means.}

While other members of Opiatoha k' Idoma were awaiting the arrival of other principal actors, the thugs invaded the venue assaulting Chief Baba Odangla with a warning to cause more havoc as well as overheat the polity in Idoma land through series of violent attacks if the aborted meeting was reconvened.

After causing confusion at the venue of the meeting, Nigerian Newsday learnt that members of Idoma Youth Vanguard were returning to Otukpo when they met Mr, Adoka Adaji who is the secretary of Opiatoha K' Idoma, who they beat to a state of pulp.

Prior to the disruption of the meeting at Igumale, on June 10, 2006, a prominent member of Opiatoha, Chief David Attah was attacked at his Federal Housing Residence, North Bank, Makurdi by unknown assassins who robbed him of undisclosed sums of money and other vital household items.

Already the victim of Igumale attack, Mr. Adoka Adaji, who is the secretary of Oipatoha K' Idoma and special assistant to the governor on media affairs Zone 'C' has called on Benue State government to urgently outlaw the Idoma Youth Vanguard as it is becoming inimical to the existence of peace and order in Idoma land.

Mr. Adaji in a statement made available to Nigerian Newsday in Makurdi accused members of the vanguard of beijng behind the violent attack on members of Opiatoha K' Idoma on June 10, 2006 at Igumale.

The statement said members of the vanguard have vowed to make the Idoma area a Benue State ungovernable. "They have resolved to carry out violent attack at every gathering in Idoma land", the statement added.

It expressed fear that the continued existence of Idoma Youth Vanguard would not only lead to break down of law and order in Idoma land but also complete anarchy in the state if not outlawed as it threatened to make the state ungovernable between now and 2007.