April 23, (THEWILL) – At least 12 people have been reportedly killed by Fulani herdsmen on Friday, at Tse Ibe, Katsa, Melayongu and Mbaakpam, in Mbapa and Tse Agungu Unger in Mbabuande council wards of Gwer west Local government Area, Benue State.
This is coming a day after a similar deadly attack was recorded on farming community of Waya in Jato-Aka, Turan district of Kwande local government area, in which eight lives were lost with many missing and others sustaining injuries of various degrees.
A man, who escaped death by the whiskers, Mr Loyal Ukeri, said nine persons were killed by invaders at Mbapa council ward, while three others were at Mbabuande council ward of the local government area.
One Chief Nyitamen Kwaghtsa, who also narrowly escaped from the attackers after his older brother was killed, said the killer herdsmen stormed the community on motorcycles at about 4pm that fateful Friday and opened fire at Tse Ibe killing men, while asking women to escape with children.
“The gunmen later moved in convoy to Kyande settlement area killing others. They later made away with some motorcycles of victims after razing many houses in the communities.”
Another survivor, Mama Kaseve Ajo, alleged that she was aided by some gunmen to escape with her two children. “We were not sure when they told us to run away. They did no harm to me and my children.”
According to her, she saw soldiers and people going round in the community and recovering the dead bodies and those wounded during the attack.
The Gwer West Local Government Security Secretary, Mr Justin Chikpa, who confirmed the attack, said the council Chairman, Mrs Grace Igbabon, has mobilised security personnel to the scene of the attacks to curtail further invasion.
It was gathered that Mbapa and Mbabuande council wards shared borders with Nasarawa state, where herders crossed over to cause mayhem and have allegedly occupied some council wards in Gwer west.
Some weeks ago, a community in Tarka local government area of the state suffered same fate when gunmen invaded and killed some farmers, in which the cause of the invasion is yet to be ascertained. Chief of Operations, Army Headquarters, visited the scenes of the attacks.
The Police Public Relations Officer for Benue State Command, Superintendent of Police, Sewuese Anene, could not be reached as she was not responding to text messages or calls.
