Bandits Kill 18 Persons In Fresh Attack On Benue Community

No fewer than 18 persons have been confirmed dead following the attack of armed bandits at the weekend in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.

Many other people were reported to have been abducted and taken to unknown destinations with some sustaining varying degrees of injuries.

The state’s police spokesperson, Catherine Sewuese Anene, who confirmed the bloody attack said the command had already launched a full-scale investigation into the matter, adding that normalcy has returned in the area.

“The attack in Kastina-Ala is confirmed. Meanwhile, the investigation is ongoing as normalcy has returned in the area. Details will get to you as soon as the police on ground send a report”, said the PPRO.

Sunday Telegraph gathered that the incident occured at about 11 pm on Friday night.

The armed bandits, it was learnt, made incursions into the community in large numbers and started shooting sporadically at residents.

Caretaker committee Chairman of the local government, Justine Shaku, also confirmed the attack on the phone, saying that soldiers got an intelligence report about the attack on Mbache village, stressing that before the soldiers could get to the area, the bandits had wreaked havoc and left.

“Yes, I can confirm that 18 people were killed and two others wounded by ‘terrorists’ in my local government area. The incident happened 11 pm Friday night.

“At about 11 pm on Friday, we received a distress call from the villagers that some group of terrorists mobilised themselves and were moving from house to house forcing people to follow them.

“I quickly mobilised the military officers that are in Tor Donga and being a remote area before they could reach the area, the people were killed.

“Some were wounded. I was told it was 17 people that died but today, 18 people have been confirmed dead. All of them were assembled in one place and killed.

The House of Assembly member, the Adviser on legislative matters and I held a meeting and we communicated the development to the Commissioner of Police.

“It is a guerrilla warfare. They hit and ran away. In the previous months, things were not too good but we were experiencing a calm atmosphere within this month of July only to witness what happened yesterday.

“In the month of June, the security situation was very bad but this month, we have not witnessed such attacks. Even those whose houses they were ransacking in the council ward in question had moved back to their homes and things appear to be calm before this attack”, Shaku stated.

Shaku disclosed that before the attack and killings, some people were kidnapped including an Igbo man and his two children.

He called on the people of the area to be calm, assuring that the government of Rev. Father Hyacinth Alia is committed in keeping Benue communities safe from such acts.

He further assured that the situation will soon become a thing of the past.

The special adviser to Benue State Governor on Internal Security Chief Joseph Har also confirmed the attack and admitted that people were killed but had no details of the incident.

The attack in Kastina-Ala is confirmed. Meanwhile, the investigation is ongoing as normalcy has returned in the area. Details will get to you as soon as the police on ground send the report.