A former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Benue State, Hon. Comrade Abba Yaro, has reportedly escaped an attack during a burial ceremony in Okpoga, Okpokwu Local Government Area of the state.
Yaro was attending the burial of the late Raymond Ogwuche over the weekend when suspected thugs allegedly attacked him with bottles and stones.
He was said to have been speaking at the burial ceremony alongside Hon. Chief Vincent Okoko Odo, popularly known as Hon. Tula, when the attack occurred.
According to eyewitness accounts cited by the Ogbadibo Progressives Congress (OPC), the attackers were suspected to be political thugs.
Yaro and Odo reportedly escaped the scene unhurt.
The OPC, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Dr David Ujah, and made available to journalists on Thursday, condemned the incident, describing it as an attack and an assault on political tolerance in Benue South.
The group said Yaro, a native of Ogbadibo Local Government Area, is a respected political figure who has served both his community and the APC.
“An attack on him is an attack on the entire Ogbadibo people. We must rise to protect him and ensure that justice is done,” the statement said.
The OPC called on the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies to investigate the incident, identify those behind the attack and prosecute them.
It also urged political actors in the state to reject violence and embrace issue-based campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group stressed the longstanding relationship between Ogbadibo and Okpokwu, saying residents of both areas regularly attend political, social and traditional events across the two local government areas.
It urged political stakeholders to promote tolerance and ensure that contestants and their supporters can participate in political activities without fear of violence.
The OPC further appealed to its members and supporters to remain calm and law-abiding while calling for justice over the alleged attack.