UPDATE: AGAIN, BANDITS KILL SEVEN IN BENUE
In Benue State’s Logo Local Government Area, near Yongia Uambie Tiev in the Ukembrergya/Tswarev ward, seven people have been killed by bandits.
Anawah Joseph, a community leader, claims that the incident occurred between Tuesday and Wednesday.
According to Anawah, a large group of assailants with advanced weaponry arrived to target the neighborhood.
He said, āThe Tuesday attack started around 4 pm and lasted till 8 pm. Then, on Wednesday, they resumed again, I donāt think they came to graze but to attack.ā
He stated that several people were killed in the attack.
Confirming the attack, the Chairman of the local government, Rev Adagbe Jonathan, said that seven people were killed in the two days of the attack.
He said, āIt happened on Tuesday and Wednesday with seven casualties.
āThe attacks were carried out by the herdsmen. Even when I went there on an assessment tour, they were still grazing on the other side of the road, claiming that the area was part of Taraba State.
āNo one could just approach them. Iām even now in Makurdi, I reported to the Special Adviser on Internal Affairs and Security, Special Adviser, Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and to the Permanent Secretary on Bureau of Internal Services.ā
On Thursday, state Assembly member Abu Umoru, who represents the Apa State constituency, bemoaned the ceaseless attacks on his community and claimed he had lost track of the attacks’ deaths.
The congressman mentioned nine towns in the state’s Apa LGA that were left abandoned as a result of bandits’ attacks.
He said, āThe entire Edikpo Community had been displaced, Opaha where I come from, nobody in is that community, Odugbo, nobody is there, Akpete, Ikobi, Akpata, Idiaha, Ochumekwu, Adiga nobody is in those communities.
āEvery day, they burn houses in Akpete. As I speak to you, for three consecutive days, they have been going to Akpete and burning houses after chasing the dwellers out of their ancestral homes.