Anxiety has gripped Benue State following the mysterious disappearance of two individuals, including a senior aide to Governor Hyacinth Alia.
One of the missing persons, Atu Terver, the governor’s Principal Special Assistant on Youth and Media Mobilisation, was last seen on Tuesday while travelling from Makurdi to Abuja. His wife, Civir Terver, confirmed that he never arrived at his destination.
“He left Makurdi on Tuesday to see us in Abuja but did not show up.
We reported the case to the police in Abuja, and they said they were investigating. Up till now, there is no information about his whereabouts,” she said.
The second case involves social media activist Asom Jerry, whose sudden disappearance has been widely discussed online. While some reports suggested he was arrested by police, others say his whereabouts remain unknown.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, DSP Udeme Edet, said she had no information on Jerry’s alleged arrest. On Terver’s case, she explained that the matter was being handled outside the state.
“I don’t have any information on the alleged arrest of the social media activist.
As for the governor’s aide, the incident occurred in Abuja, not Benue,” Edet stated.
Efforts to reach the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Kula Terso, were unsuccessful as calls to his phone went unanswered.
Meanwhile, the Austin Agada-led faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue expressed concern over the two disappearances, accusing Governor Alia of maintaining silence.
In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Daniel Ihomun, the faction said the cases had created “deep fear and uncertainty” among residents, warning that the incidents undermine public trust in government and security agencies.
“The sudden disappearance of activist and government critic, Asom Jerry, and the Principal Special Assistant to the Governor, Atu Terver, has left our people anxious. The silence of the governor is disturbing and unacceptable,” the statement read.
The APC faction called on security agencies to intensify investigations and urged the state government to act decisively to reassure citizens that their safety remains a priority.