Former Benue State Governor’s Residence Burned Down by Hoodlums

Hoodlums have set fire to the residence of the late Aper Aku, a former Governor of Benue State, located in the Gboko area of the state. Late Aper Aku was the first civilian Governor of the North Central state.

According to reports, the incident occurred on Monday after the occupants were safely evacuated from the building by the Police.

Deborah Aku, the daughter of the late governor, spoke with reporters in Markurdi on Tuesday, revealing that the Police rescued six of them before the hoodlums set fire to the house.

She explained that the trouble began in March when a man arrived at the house wielding a cutlass, threatening to harm them if his goat died again. He claimed that he had been informed his goat died after drinking water from their house.

Aku disclosed that her mother reported the incident to the Police Division in Gboko, and the matter was subsequently taken to court. However, she recounted that the fresh attack occurred between 7 am and 8 am on Monday when the hoodlums besieged the house, trapping all six occupants.

She narrated, “They came around and didn’t talk to anyone, numbering over 30. When we noticed that their visit was not friendly, we locked all the doors and called the Police. Before the Police could arrive, they started destroying the house, killed our dog, broke into the pig house, and stole all the pigs. They also vandalized our mother’s car.”

“The Police arrived and were able to rescue us from the house. We left with the Police with only what we were wearing. While we were on our way with the Police, the house was set ablaze with everything inside. The Police came in two trucks, but the assailants outnumbered them and even attacked them too,” she added.

Aku emphasized that the family is awaiting the outcome of the Police investigation and has reported the matter to relevant authorities, including the governor and the Speaker, given that the incident occurred in the Speaker’s constituency.