Seven persons have been reportedly killed in fresh armed herders attacks on four communities in Apa, Logo, Guma and Gwer West Local Government Areas, LGAs, of Benue State.
Nigeriacrime.com learned that the attack which happened barely 48 hours before the Presidential and National Assembly elections, also left scores injured and many others displaced.
Among those killed in the recent attacks was Timothy Adzuu the younger brother of an appointee of the State Governor on Protocol, Mr Frank Adzuu who was shot and killed at Tyulen village Agasha in Guma LGA.
The victim was reported to have lost his life in the early hours of Wednesday when the armed herders invaded the community from neighbouring Nasarawa state shooting sporadically and chasing away the people from their community.
The death of Timothy was confirmed by his grieving elder brother who disclosed his gruesome murder on his social media handle.
According to an eyewitness, the same scenario played out at Ikobi community in Apa LGA where three persons were gunned down by armed herders who stormed the community from the neighbouring Agagbe community in Gwer West where the marauders killed two persons in their farms after which they marched into Ikobi killing three of the victims.
According to the source, “the armed herdsmen came to our village this morning from neighbouring Agagbe in Gwer West LGA where we heard they had killed two people in their farms and when they got to Ikobi they killed three of our people also in their farm. The attack was unprovoked and it is unacceptable.
“Our people are very angry with this development because it was unprovoked and unacceptable.”
Also, in Logo LGA, a large number of armed herdsmen were said to have taken over several communities in Ukemberagya of Ukemberagya/Tswarev Council Ward including Chamber, Mgbapa and Tse Igbur where a middle-aged man was reportedly killed in his farm by the marauders.
It was gathered that the invasion of the area which was confirmed by a community leader in the area, whose name withheld, followed days of migration of the herders from neighbouring Nasarawa state, who were reported to have taken over farmlands in the Council Ward.
“Herdsmen from Nasarawa state have taken over many farms in several villages in the Ward and the people are all living in fear as we speak especially after they witnessed the killing of a young man in the farm a day ago,” he said.
Meanwhile, two persons were also reported to have been killed in two separate attacks on Tse-Tsokaa Mbapupuu in Gambe-Ushin Council Ward and Tse-Awuna Mbachohon Council Ward of Gwer West LGA.
According to a source in the area, those killed included Sensu Dubu who was shot by the marauders at Tse-Tsokaa village and one Jacob Jov who was also murdered in cold blood by the marauders at Tse-Awuna all in the early hours of Wednesday.
“As we speak people are fleeing from these communities to neighbouring areas after the killing of the two; the herders who are coming from neighbouring Nasarawa state are staying put in those villages,” he said.
Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent, SP, Catherine Anene said she had no details of the incidents.