Benue: Sporadic Shootings As Suspected Herdsmen Kill Eight More People In Agatu

There was sporadic gun battle in Ogwumogbo Ikpele, Ejima and Okpokpolo communities in Agatu local government area of Benue State weekend by suspected armed Fulani terrorists killing at least eight more people in the process.

This brings to 38 persons so far massacred in the last couple of weeks in the area.

It was gathered that that invaders launched the attack into the communities at about 7 pm on Saturday and started firing shots in the air to scare residents and loot property during which eight innocent persons were killed.

An indigene of the area who identified himself as Oche Hyacinth, told our Correspondent that both ‘women and children are wallowing in penury in the bush as I speak with you’, adding that “we lost eight healthy young men to the night attack and still counting”.

“Right now, everyone has ran into the bush. No one can tell of the number of casualties now, I will bring the update tomorrow. Ogwumogbo, Ikpele, Ejima and Okpokpolo have all deserted their homes, women and children are wallowing in the bush right now”.

Youths from the area, have expressed deep worry over the level of humanitarian challenge and devastation suffered from the attacks, and appealed with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to as a matter of urgency, deploy troops in the now troubled Agatu communities to enable the people return to their ancestral homes.

Leader of ‘Concerned Youths’ from Ejima and Ogwumogbo, Comrade Abel Jacob, in a widely circulated statement, drew the attention of the federal government to the serial violent herdsmen attacks that saw killing of dozens of local farmers, destruction of properties and displacement of the people and take over of their homes by the invaders.

Comrade Jacob said that “partial assessments carried out by youths of these communities after the last attack indicated that over 30 persons lost their lives, properties worth over N100 million were destroyed in a separate attacks at Ejimagegah, Ejima Ge-Che and Ogwumogbo in Agatu LGA of the state.

“The communities are calling the attention of the government, relevant security agencies, Defence Headquarters, Nigerian Police Force, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Benue State Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, Agatu Local Government Chairman Hon. Yakubu Ochepo, to come to their aid as the suspected terrorists herders are in control of the three communities unchallenged”.