Benue: Funeral for 13 victims put on hold after undertaker disappears

A planned mass burial, initially set for Thursday, March 12, 2026, for the 13 victims of a recent armed herdsmen attack in Turan Community, Jato-Aka, Kwande Local Government Area, Benue State, has been postponed.

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The burial was scheduled to take place on Thursday, with preparations already underway at Mbachom community, where families and community members were waiting for the arrival of the corpses from the mortuary.

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A source from the area, Bemgba Numve, who lost a brother in the attack, revealed that the burial was called off due to the families' inability to retrieve the remains of their loved ones from the mortuary.

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According to Numve, the families had made arrangements to bury all 13 victims on Thursday, with many people gathering for the burial, including those from outside the community.

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However, upon arriving at the mortuary, they found that the mortician was absent, and no one was available to release the corpses, prompting the postponement of the burial.

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Numve expressed frustration, stating that it seemed some individuals did not want the burial to take place, but emphasized that the families have the right to bury their loved ones as they see fit.

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He vowed that the families would not be deterred and would schedule another date for the burial, despite efforts by others to interfere with their plans.

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An attempt to contact the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, was unsuccessful.