The Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, has expressed sadness over the attacks on the Anwase community in the Kwande Local Government Area of the state, where innocent residents were reportedly murdered in a gruesome manner by suspected herders.

The governor expressed worry that such a heinous act persists in the state despite the efforts of his administration to ensure the safety of his people.

Alia made this known in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, on Friday.

According to Kula, Alia is determined to continue to use lawful procedures to protect Benue people, with a charge on security personnel to improve their surveillance and also ensure that vulnerable communities are not left unguarded.

Alia said, “I can assure you, the perpetrators of this act will pay dearly for it. They may think they are not known, but they cannot be allowed to continue perpetrating this. It’s a matter of time.”

The governor condoled the families that lost loved ones in the attack and equally sympathised with those injured.