Again, armed herders attack Benue communities, kill ten, injure many

• The affected Local Government Areas are Apa, Kwande and Guma. Several others were injured during the attack.

At least ten persons have been reportedly killed by suspected armed herdsmen in fresh attacks across some local government areas in Benue state.

The affected Local Government Areas are Apa, Kwande and Guma. Several others were injured during the attack.

It was gathered that the herders had viciously and relentlessly attacked Ubele, Ochumekwu, Adija, Kano and Ijaha in Apa LGA in the last three days.

The invasions of several Benue communities have intensified since the beginning of the dry season as the killer herders herded thousands of their cattle into the land owned by locals.

The National Chairman of Apa Development Association, a socio-cultural group of people, Mr. Eche Akpoko confirmed the attacks.

He lamented the incessant attacks and killings in Apa by the marauders, saying the attacks were carried out in three days.

He said: “I can confirm to you that there were serial of attacks on the following communities: Ijaha-Ibele, where five people were killed; Ochumekwu recorded three casualties; in Adija, one person was killed, sameasKanocommunity, where one person was also killed. These were all in Apa LGA.”

The attack was reported to have spread to Yelewata in Guma LGA, where a middle aged farmer, Mr. Oryiman Ifa, was hacked Sunday morning in his cassava farm by herders, who invaded his farm with their cattle.

According to a family member,“he was left in his pool of blood but was lucky to have been rescued by neighbours, who saw him in the bush and rushed him to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, BSUTH, Makurdi, where he is receiving treatment.”

The marauders were also reported to have invaded Moon on River Mkomun close to the Cameroon boundary with Benue State on Sunday evening, where the locals were said to have been surrounded and trapped by the marauders who threatened to kill them.

“Some of the trapped villagers were able to escape upon payment of N5,000 each to those who helped them to escape from the entrapment,” he said.