No fewer than 58 people were killed in bloody attacks in Benue over the weekend.
According to Daily Trust, the attacks occurred in Benue State’s Gwer West, Apa, and Gwer East Local Government Areas.
In Gwer West and Apa LGAs, 43 people were killed by gunmen.
The attackers reportedly targeted Tse Antswam, a village near Naka town, on Sunday evening.
Speaking about the situation, the residents said gunmen arrived around 7 pm and opened fire indiscriminately.
At least 18 people were killed in Tse Antswam alone during the attack, while many villagers fled into nearby bushes or jumped into wells to escape.
In his words, Traditional ruler Ter Nagi, Chief Daniel Abomtse, confirmed the death toll from the bloody attack in Benue.
“As of this morning (Monday), 18 bodies have been recovered,” Abomtse said.
“Some of the wounded may not survive because they were badly attacked,” he added.
Speaking further, Abomtse noted that the attackers operated like guerrilla fighters. He expressed concern that the attack happened near a military checkpoint.
Meanwhile, gunmen also invaded Edikwu Ankpali community in Apa LGA, killing over 25 people.
A local, Tony, said, “Over 25 corpses have been counted in Edikwu Ankpali. Burial arrangements are already underway.”
Also, a separate incident occurred in Gwer East LGA, where 15 people were killed in a communal clash.
Daily Trust reported that the clash was between two neighbouring communities, escalating tensions in the area.
Meanwhile, a former government official, John Ikwulono, said Opaha community was attacked on Monday. He, however, claimed that the number of casualties in Opaha is yet to be confirmed.
Similarly, the chairman of Gwer West, Victor Ormini, expressed frustration over the bloody attack in Benue.
The recent incidents mark unending bloody attacks in Benue, despite the efforts of the security operatives to put a stop to the menace.
In another news, many local vigilantes were killed by military jet in Zamfara State. The security men were mistakenly bombedbb by the military going after some terrorists.
