Community Threatens To Release Snakes On Construction Workers In Benue

A community in Benue State has threatened to release snakes to bite construction workers, thus ‘temporarily’ stalling plans to build a cargo airport in the state.

The State Government confirmed the threat on Monday, July 24, adding that plans to commence the project on Kilometre 28 along Makurdi-Lafia road, was halted due the demand and threats of the host Nyie community in Guma Local Government Area.

While speaking with reporters, the Commissioner for Works, Transport and Energy, Emmanuel Manger, said that the community was strongly opposed to the construction of the airport without compensation first paid to the land owners.


“The community has threatened to release snakes to bite anybody, who trespasses on their land without paying full compensation to them’’.

The state commissioner disclosed that part of the community’s land was earmarked for the establishment of a cargo airport.

However, the community has threatened that it would not allow the commencement of the project until compensations are first paid to the land owners.

This is coming on the back of the government’s failure to fully compensate their kinsmen after taking some of their land to establish the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi.

The commissioner said that the face-off had since stalled the commencement of the project.