Eight Killed as Suspected Herdsmen Attack Benue Village

George Okoh in Makurdi

Suspected Fulani herdsmen on Wednesday continued their attacks on Mbahimin in Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State, killing eight residents.

The attack, which started on February 24, 2017, continued unabated Wednesday.
According to an eyewitness, the villagers in an attempt to prevent the herdsmen from grazing on their cassava farm led to the crises.

“The herdsmen with their herds numbering thousands insisted on grazing on our land including our cassava farms and when we insisted on them leaving our farms they attacked us.

“Several people were killed and others wounded while our farms were massively destroyed,” he said.
One of the leaders of the community, Mr. Tersoor Hwande, called for prayers for the people following the Fulani herdsmen’s attacks on the community.

He said some of the people killed included Jimmy Angbian Ugon, Benjamin Iorcher Agah, (younger brother to John Agah, Prof. Ashiko’s driver) and Puusu, a visitor who came to the community for the marriage arrangements of his son.

“The strange thing is that Jimmy and Benjamin all have their eyes plugged off,” he said
Meanwhile, there has been a massive deployment of both the police and air force personnel to the crises spot.
According to the Benue State Police Public Relation Officer, Moses Yamu, who confirmed the incidents, he said the police have stationed their men at the spot of the crises.

He said the police got a report of a Fulani man that was killed during the crises but before they could intervene, there was a reprisal by the herdsmen which resulted in the killing of four other residents.