Suspected Herdsmen Kill 18 Residents in Benue

George Okoh in Makurdi

Suspected Fulani terrorist on Thursday in Ukohol community of Guma Local Area of Benue State gunned down 18 members of the community including women and children.

According to a resident of the community and also a security adviser of the local government, Christopher Waku, the incident happened about 5p.m. on Thursday.

He said the attackers came to the market and started shooting sporadically, adding that they later left for another village with about 10 people lying in a pool of blood.

In his own account, the Guma Council Chairman, Mike Ubah, confirmed to journalists in Makurdi that 18 people were killed.

Ubah said the attackers appeared in black attires and opened gunfire on people in the market, killing 10 on the spot after which they also attacked other three nearby villages and killed eight others.

“My people at Ukohol were attacked by armed herders. They killed 10 people in the market. The worst of it all is that they even killed children below the age of two years.

“They went to three villages neighbouring Ukohol and killed another eight people making it a total of 18.

“The security operatives were prompt and that was what saved the day. If they had delayed, the casualties would have been more than what we now have on the ground.

“It was a market day, they (attackers) went there and started shooting. What is happening now is that they are trying to destabilise people from their villages and settlements for them to occupy those areas and be grazing in the night. No village  is spared and the whole 10 council wards in Guma are affected,” the council chairman said.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, SP Catherine Anene, confirmed the incident but said she did not have the details yet.