Ukan Kurugh Molested by Thugs at the Makurdi International Camp for IDPs

Fellow Countrymen;

Diplomats and Friends of LEAD Worldwide. 

1. Activities of the last 24 hours necessitated an emergency convention of LEAD Benue and her partners in the Benue Flood Victims support. 

1.1 As has occupied the social media and other fora; social activist and LEAD Benue member Ukan Peter Kurugh who has been serving at the camp and representing our group was molested at the Internally Displaced Persons-IDPs camp in Makurdi by thugs who voiced out their disgust against him for criticizing the government of Benue state. 

1.2 In the wake of the flood in Benue and the subsequent displacement of fellow citizens by the flood, we did organize ourselves together to rally funds for our displaced people; a venture that has proven a great success because of your contributions. 

2.0 Recall that Ukan Peter Kurugh and many others from LEAD and beyond have been serving at the camps as volunteers and have religiously and diligently carried out their duties until today. 

3.0 The said thugs did inhumanly treat Ukan Kurugh, they beat him and caused him grievous bodily harm; an act that is unacceptable not only because it is dehumanizing but worst because he is our member attending to humanitarian needs of IDPs. 

4.0 We condemn this dastardly act in vehemence and we announce that forthwith we are withdrawing the services of our volunteers at the Internally Displaced Persons camp on account of the ensuing impunity and deafening silence of the government of Benue state and the clear statement that they can no longer guarantee our safety on camps and prevent the violation of our peoples as has proven with this conduct. 

4.1 Our withdrawal from the camp is hinged on the fact that our movement has been disrespected and the blatant disregard for the cries tendered after hours of the said incidence only prove the government's apathy. 

4.2. That this was done in public glare and up to this moment no culprit has been apprehended clearly shows that our other members are at risk and stand being harmed on the trumped up charges of criticizing the government of the day. 

4.3 We would further be informed that the governor arrived the camp a few minutes later with the perpetrators of this act still on ground and could not order their arrest or take any move to grant our comrade justice. He only mentioned passively that he would replace his broken iPad and asked that "he reports to the security agencies or forgives the perpetrators of the act". 

4.4 It is unthinkable as it is unacceptable.

4.5 It has also been confirmed that security agencies stood by and watched as our comrade was assaulted and only one operative of the Department of State Security would later come to his rescue. 

4.6.    It is a considered opinion that this was planned with the permission of the security agencies present as their tacit nod to the act raises no other thinking.  

4.7 It is an act we cannot take and it is a pill we cannot swallow. 

4.8 We hope to continue our work on another note and with better security guaranteed. 

4.9 Until then we wish to concentrate on measures to seeking justice for our Abused comrade and putting in place measures that such an act is never repeated. 

5.0 We must reiterate for emphasis that we are not allowing this slide under the mud and we would not allow this indiscipline go. 

5.1 This is one human right violation gone too far. 

5.2 We regret the inconveniences our decisions might have caused the general public as we assure them that we would take all legal methods to bring justice to Ukan Peter Kurugh. 

5.3 Retain as always the assurance of our esteemed regards. 

LEAD Benue.