Anxiety as Benue gov’s aide, activist go missing

There are growing concerns in Benue State following the reported disappearance of two persons, including an aide to the state governor, Hyacinth Alia.

One of the missing persons, Atu Terver, who serves as Principal Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth and Media Mobilisation, was said to have gone missing on Tuesday while travelling between Makurdi and Abuja.

The second case involves Asom Jerry, a social media activist whose disappearance has been trending online. While some users on social media alleged that Jerry was arrested by the police, others claimed his whereabouts remain unknown.

Speaking with our correspondent on Thursday, the wife of the governor’s aide, Mrs Civir Terver, confirmed that her husband had set out for Abuja but never arrived.

She said, “He left Makurdi on Tuesday and was coming to see us in Abuja but did not show up. The case was reported at the police station in Abuja, and they told us that they were investigating it. As of today, I am yet to get any useful information about his whereabouts.”

Asked if the state government had reached out to her, Mrs Terver said she had yet to receive any information from her husband’s employer.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, DSP Udeme Edet, said she was not aware of Jerry’s alleged arrest and noted that Terver’s disappearance occurred outside the state.

I don’t have any information on the alleged arrest of the social media activist as I am just hearing of it from you. Regarding Governor Alia’s appointee, it happened in Abuja, not in Benue State,” Edet said.

Efforts to get the reaction of the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Kula Terso, were unsuccessful as he did not take his calls.

In a related development, the Austin Agada-led All Progressives Congress in the state expressed concern over the cases of the two missing persons.

In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Daniel Ihomun, the faction criticised Governor Alia for what it described as his silence on the matter.

“The sudden disappearance of notable Benue citizens, including activist and fierce government critic, Asom Jerry, and the Principal Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth and Media Mobilisation, Atu Terver, popularly known as Krazy T, has created deep fear and uncertainty among our people. These incidents strike at the heart of public trust in government and the security agencies mandated to protect citizens,” the statement read in part.

The faction further said it was worried that the governor had chosen to remain silent, “offering no reassurance, update, or concrete action.”

While condemning what it called the “insensitivity and inaction” of the Alia administration, the APC faction urged security agencies to urgently intensify investigations, trace the missing persons, and bring those responsible to justice.

It also called on the state government to “speak up, act responsibly, and provide credible information to reassure the people that their lives and rights are valued and protected.”