More than 200 gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen yesterday stormed Mbatsada, Tse Agena in Mbalom community, Ikpayonge and Adeka market in Gwer and Agatu Local Government areas of Makurdi, the Benue State capital, killing at least 63 persons and injuring several scores in the process.
The latest attack came on the heels of weekend’s bloody fight between Tiv youths and the suspected Fulani mercenaries which claimed 55 lives in Guma local government area of the state.
The suspected Fulani herders stormed Tse-Tse-Agena during the wee hours of Tuesday when their victims were deep asleep, shooting sporadically, burning houses, killing and maiming anything in sight.
Quoting an eyewitness account, Vanguard reports, “they came in around 4am when the people were still asleep and unprepared for the attack. Everyone was woken up by the barrage of gunfire, the wailing of women and children who were running frantically for safety in the mist of the confusion.
“The painful part of this attack is that communities in Gwer have had no prior incidents with the herders; that is why we all believe this is a premeditated attack. This carnage must not be allowed to continue; over 60 bodies have been removed from that village and the search for several missing persons in still ongoing. We earnestly want the state and federal governments to act fast before these mercenaries encircle the state capital.”
Several police Hilux vans and ambulances were seen conveying recovered bodies of the victims of the attacks to the morgue of the Makurdi Federal Medical Centre where the police have had to contend with the angry crowd that had besieged the hospital.
When contacted, the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Superintendent Daniel Ezeala, confirmed the attack adding that the command had recovered and deposited some corpses at the Makurdi Federal Medical Centre.
Meanwhile Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State has called for military assistance to check the killings.
No comments:
Post a Comment