Police Confirms Attack On Benue Communities As Leaders Put Casualty Figures At 30

Suspected armed herdsman in the early hours of Sunday, allegedly killed about thirty persons in two communities of Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State in what has been described as unprovoked attacks on civilians.

Police Public Relations Officer for the Benue State Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Sewuese Anene, confirm the attack to journalist in a brief statement.

Mr Anene however did not give intricate details regarding the attack, neither was there a confirmation of the death toll.

“Information about the attack was received and more officers sent to assist Okpokwu Division in managing this, I am yet to receive details,” the spokesperson’s statement partly read.

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However contrary to the police statement, the Federal Lawmaker representing Ado, Ogbadibu and Okpokwu Federal Constituency, Mr Francis Agbo Otta, in a statement issued on Sunday said thirty persons were killed in the attack on Igama Community of Ojigo Ward.

“Growing up in Utonkon District of Ado LGA, I knew Igama in Ojigo Ward of Okpokwu LGA as one of the most peaceful communities in Benue South until recently when terrorists turned it to a cesspool of blood,” the lawmaker bemoaned the situation.

“I therefore condemn the killing of 30 innocent people, and still counting… I have contacted security agents who have responded appropriately,” the parliamentarian disclosed.

A deluge of attacks

This news adds to the climate of insecurity currently pervading the country. It comes just a few hours after bandits abducted no fewer than 50 wedding guests travelling along the Sokoto-Zamfara road.

Those abducted include Telephone Marketers at the popular Bebeji Plaza in Gusau.

They were returning to Gusau after attending a wedding of their colleague in Sokoto State when the incident happened between Tureta-Bakura road around 6 PM on Saturday

The vehicles conveying the wedding guests were a Toyota coaster bus belonging to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), a Gusau Local Government Secretariat staff vehicle and two other private vehicles.

Secretary of Union of Communication, Zamfara State, Ashiru Zurmi, while narrating the incident to journalists in Gusau on Sunday said one of the vehicles conveying the guests developed a fault at Tureta in Sokoto state and it was fixed by an automobile mechanic after about 40 minutes.

He said the bandits ambushed the vehicles after the repair of the faulty vehicle along Tureta-Bakura road and over 50 persons were abducted.

Zurmi noted that more than 20 persons later managed to escape, while some of them sustained various degrees of injuries.