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Traditional Ruler Was Among 59 Persons Killed As Suspected Fulani Herdsmen Attack Benue Communities
A traditional ruler was among 59 persons that were reportedly killed following renewed attack from suspected Fulani herdsmen on farmers at Turan Council ward of Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.
The attack, which occurred between Saturday night and Sunday morning, also left so many members of the community with varying degrees of injuries while several others were still reported missing and property worth millions of naira destroyed.
It was gathered that the suspected armed herdsmen stormed the Gabo Nenzev community numbering over 3,000 from the neighbouring Nasarawa State, shooting sporadically and burning down houses and farms.
It was learnt that policemen drafted to the areas watched helplessly.
Confirming the incident, a member of the Benue State House of Assembly representing Logo Constituency, Kester Kyange, said:
As of this morning, the calls I made confirmed to me that about 59 persons including a traditional ruler were killed while many others are still missing. The women, children and the elderly have all fled their homes to take refuge in Ugba, headquarters of Logo LG.
Speaking to The PUNCH, a fleeing member of one of the communities said:
The people were shooting sporadically and the villagers fled, including myself and members of my family for fear of being killed.
The situation in Ugondo at the moment is scary and we are helpless. It’s as if we are at war. The mission of the invaders is to occupy and take over our villages.
It’s a pathetic situation because corpses are littering the community though one cannot give a specific number of the dead which should not be less than 15. But I know that the casualty figure could be huge because many have been wounded as bullets continue to fly around.
The people are also burning down houses, farms and foodstuff as they move into the villages in what looks like a well-coordinated attack.
Meanwhile, the Benue State Police Command confirmed the incident as it said it has drafted more mobile policemen to the area to forestall further attacks.
