Seven people were reportedly killed on Thursday night when armed invaders launched a fresh attack on Agbo Vengav Udam, a community in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State.
Our correspondent reports that the latest killings bring the total number of people killed in Benue State by armed invaders so far in April to 113.
Witnesses said the assailants stormed the community around 7pm, firing indiscriminately and causing panic among residents.
“They came through a border village in Otukpo and entered Agbo while shooting sporadically. Seven people were killed instantly, and they abducted three others,” a resident of the area told our correspondent.
Another witness, who asked not to be identified, confirmed that an infant was among those killed, while the child’s mother was among the abducted victims.
The witness added that five of the bodies had been deposited at a morgue in Naka, while the families of the remaining two victims chose to bury their loved ones immediately.
Residents said the attack had forced many people to flee the community out of fear of further violence.
Efforts to reach the Chairman of Gwer West Local Government Area, Victor Ormin, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls or messages.
Similarly, attempts to contact the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the Benue State Command, CSP Catherine Anene, were not successful as calls and messages went unanswered.
Recall that on same Thursday, unidentified gunmen hijacked two commercial vehicles in the affected local government and abducted 19 passengers in the process.
113 killed in Benue attacks in April alone
There has been a resurgence of attacks across Benue State with at least 113 people killed in April alone across seven local government areas, according to available reports as of Friday morning.
Residents however think that the actual figure may be higher due to unreported cases in remote communities.
Our correspondent reports that a breakdown of the timeline of attacks across the state shows the scale of the carnage:
As of Tuesday, April 22, the Sankera axis recorded the highest number of fatalities, with a staggering 83 people killed in various attacks across the three local government (Kastina-Ala, Logo and Ukum) areas in five days after they were first attacked on Thursday, April 17.
on Tuesday, April 15, in Otukpo Local Government Area, gunmen attacked Otobi-Akpa community, leaving 13 persons dead. A separate attack on a passenger bus on Friday, April 4, resulted in the death of three people, bringing the death toll in Otukpo to 16.
On Wednesday, April 9, in Gwer East, an assault on Mbasombo community claimed the lives of three people. Also on April 9 and April 24, Gwer West was hit twice within the month. The two attacks claimed two and seven lives respectively. In Guma LGA, two people were killed on Tuesday, April 22.
Government response
When he hosted the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who was in Benue State on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Hyacinth Alia asserted that he would not normalise evil.
“I used the occasion to speak the truth: Benue is under siege. Our communities are grieving. Our lands are soaked in tears. Our farmers, the backbone of Nigeria’s food security, are being driven from their ancestral homes.
“I once again appealed to the Federal Government for urgent and increased support to end this bloodshed. We cannot, and will not, normalise this evil,” Alia wrote his verified Facebook page.
“The NSA delivered the President’s message: that Benue is not alone,” he added.
He said the President and his entire cabinet were 100 percent with the state in this trying moment.
“This is real evil… We will fight to ensure these murderers are defeated. Benue is number one in food production, and we must protect that legacy.
“The visit gave us hope, but more importantly, it demands action. And I will not rest until peace is restored to every inch of Benue soil. We will continue to defend our people, our land, and our right to live without fear,” the governor added. (Daily trust)
