Barely 48 hours after 18 persons were killed in Guma Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue state two persons have been reportedly killed in an ambush by suspected armed herdsmen in Zongo Akiki community in the North Bank area of Makurdi town.
NigeriaCrime.com gathered that the victims were ambushed in their community on Saturday morning while on their way to the farm.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Makurdi LGA, Mrs Eunice Torbunde disclosed that the third victim was lucky to have escaped alive.
According to her, “the victims were said to be on their way to their farm to harvest their yams at Zongo Akiki not knowing that the armed herdsmen had laid ambush for them. Two of them were shot and killed while the third person was lucky to have escaped alive.”
While lamenting the unending mayhem being unleashed on communities in the state by armed herdsmen, Mrs Torbunde advises the people to always be vigilant
She also advised the farming populace to always go to the farms in groups to avoid being easily ambushed by the marauders.
Mrs Torbunde gave the names of those killed in the attack to include Tyoikyas Awen and Azende Ude.
Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Superintendent, SP, Catherine Anene said she was yet to receive the report of the incident.
In a related development, suspected cultists have killed two teenagers between Monday and today Tuesday, throwing the entire Ibagun and Okelele in Ilorin East local government area of Kwara into mourning.
Head of the Community, otherwise called the Alangua of Ibagun, Okelele, in Ilorin, Malam Sakariyau Ilufemiloye in his reaction to the development condemned the invasion of the community by cultists.
Ilufemiloye lamented that two persons were killed by suspected cultists in the community between Monday and Tuesday.
The Alangua, in a statement signed on his behalf by the chairman of Ibagun Progressives Union (IPU), Alh Kuranga Omomeji Morogun, urged parents and guardians to enlighten their children and wards on the dangers of being involved in cultism.
He also enjoined the heads of various families in the community to counsel their children against involvement in cultism, while appealing to religious leaders in the area to make preaching against youth’s involvement in cultism a focal point.
Alangua who traced the unacceptable upsurge in cultist activities in Ibagun-Okeleke community to the infiltration of the area by intruders said the community is noted for its peaceful nature.
As part of efforts to stem the tide of cultism in the area, the Alangua has summoned an emergency meeting of all the families’ heads in the community while a meeting of members of the IPU security committee has also been summoned.
Meanwhile, the state government has intervened by swiftly cordoning off the area through patrol and surveillance by security operatives.
The government’s intervention is to allay the fears of the residents and as well guarantee the security of the innocent residents who are going about their daily lawful businesses and endeavours.