- Many other locals were wounded and houses were set ablaze in the attacks which happened on Wednesday afternoon
Gunmen suspected to be bandits wreaking havoc in Nigeria’s middle belt State of Benue have struck again.
At least six people have been reportedly killed in attacks on Ayati and Borikyo in the beleaguered Ukum Local Government Area of the State.
Many other locals were wounded and houses were set ablaze in the attacks which happened on Wednesday afternoon.
Locals revealed that the the armed militia during the community invasion shot and killed residents indiscriminately and also burned public properties, including the Ukum Local Government Secretariat.
Many residents fled for their lives, but the unfortunate ones were hit by bullets, and several others were injured.
Properties belonging to influential and prominent people in the area, including the residence of the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Paul Biam, in Zaki Biam, were also torched during the onslaught.
After the attacks, residents, in their numbers, took to the street and blocked the Sankera-Ayati-Sai Road in protest against the perennial invasions of their homes by bandits.
The Ukum Local Government Area office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was razed during the protest against attacks by gunmen.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Sewuese Anene, confirmed that six people were killed and many others wounded.
She said, “Upon receipt of this information, police teams, in collaboration with other security agencies, rushed to the area and engaged these bandits who were eventually repelled.”
Meanwhile, the senator representing Benue North-East, Emmanuel Udende, has condemned the attack. He called on security agencies to identify and prosecute the perpetrators of the killings