Gunmen attack Benue community, kill four

• The wounded were swiftly transported to Makurdi for medical care
  

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At least four individuals, including two soldiers, lost their lives in an assault on Okokolo community in the Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State.

Witnesses revealed that in Makurdi, the state capital, the military personnel were responding to threats of attacks on various Agatu communities on Thursday.

Unfortunately, the assailants ambushed them, resulting in the tragic deaths of two soldiers and severe injuries to one.

The wounded were swiftly transported to Makurdi for medical care, while another person who sought refuge in the nearby bush was later rescued in an adjoining village.

Godwin Abuh Edoh, the representative of the Agatu people in the state’s House of Assembly, verified to Daily Trust that two individuals lost their lives in the attack, with several others sustaining injuries.

He declined to comment about the soldiers, emphasising that, “We don’t write death of soldiers for the military.”

Edoh added, “There was an attack from herdsmen. This happened yesterday (Thursday). We lost some lives. Some were injured. What happened was that, there was a threat of attacks on villages of Ocholonya and Ugboju k’ Ugbe since the past six days and those people deserted their place and relocated to Okokolo.

“So, it was Okokolo that the men came to attack yesterday. We lost two lives so far while a lot of others were injured. We are still monitoring their medication. We have passed the information about the situation to security agencies and the local government chairman. I have spoken to the deputy governor of the state.”

Also in a telephone conversation, a former Agatu lawmaker, Audu Sule, confirmed the attacks on the people of Okokolo community in Agatu and ambushing of the military men who were responding to the attacks.

Sule said two soldiers were killed and others injured.

The military had yet to respond to the incident as calls and text messages put through the telephones of the Army 401 Brigade Public Relations Officer, Captain Grutus and his counterpart of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), Flight Lieutenant Oquoh, remained unanswered.