Again, Suspected Armed Herdsmen Invade Three Communities In Benue

Three communities in Benue State reportedly experienced new assaults attributed to suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Naijaonpoint reports that the attacks coincided with a call from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) representing 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for both federal and state governments to promptly implement trauma recovery programs for those affected by insurgency in Plateau and Benue states.

The affected communities in the recent assault include Emichi, Odudaje, and Okpamaju, all located in the Otukpo Local Government Area, where five individuals lost their lives in February.

These attacks occurred less than 24 hours after a violent incident in Tobi, also within the same LGA, where 13 people were killed and 50 homes were destroyed by herders on Tuesday night.

The Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, reported that at least three suspects have been apprehended in relation to the assault on the Otobi community.

The chairman of the Otukpo council, Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the attacks in a statement issued on Thursday, noting that the assailants struck while the Commissioner of Police was still at the Ochidoma Palace addressing the previous day’s violence in Otobi.

He further mentioned that three individuals were injured during the assaults on the three communities, prompting women and children to flee in fear for their safety.

“Only young men were in the communities when the attackers arrived. The prompt response from combined security operatives made the attackers flee and none of them was arrested,” Ogiri stated.

Meanwhile, three individuals suspected of being herdsmen have been apprehended in connection with the attacks that resulted in the deaths of 13 people in the Otobi community within the Otukpo council area.

Governor Alia, who made this announcement at the Government House in Makurdi, the state capital, expressed his concern regarding the situation and urged security agencies to pursue the individuals responsible for these acts.

He noted that the National Security Advisor, Nuhu Ribadu, has committed to sending additional security resources to the state to combat the recent surge in violence, particularly in the Otukpo region. The governor also revealed that security personnel would be deployed to the affected areas.

The representative for the Otukpo-Akpa Constituency in the Benue State House of Assembly, Kennedy Angbo, reported that nine bodies were recovered on Tuesday night, with an additional body found later in a remote location. By Wednesday morning, more bodies were discovered, raising the total death toll to 11.