Armed herders kill three in fresh Benue attack

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Armed herders kill three in fresh Benue attack

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February 6, 2023

Armed herders kill three in fresh Benue attack

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

No fewer than three persons have been reportedly killed in a fresh attack by suspected armed herdsmen on Ikobi community in Apa Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue state.

This came as the troops of the military spike operation in the state, codenamed Operation Whirl Stroke, OPWS, engaged the bandits in a shootout that led to the death of some of the invaders and the injury of three military personnel.

Vanguard gathered that the marauders who stormed the community on Saturday evening from neighbouring Nasarawa state shot sporadically in the community, killing the three victims and injuring a number of others.

“When information got to the OPWS, the troops were deployed to the area to prevent further attacks and they gallantly repelled the invaders.

“The troops on their way also ran into some of the killer herders at Mbappa community Agagbe in Gwer West LGA. They succeeded in overpowering the invaders but three of the soldiers sustained injuries,” he said.

Confirming the development the OPWS Public Relations Officer, Ft. Lt. Hussain Audu explained that the troops received information about an attack on Ikobi community on February 4, at about 5pm and responded immediately.

He said “the gallant troops moved to the area and cleared the community. The rampaging armed herders fled towards Nasarawa State on sighting the troops. The situation though dicey was stabilized.

“The operation continued the next day February 5 in the adjoining communities . While the troops were moving towards, Agagbe, in Gwer West LGA, they had contact with some bandits.

“The bandits fired at the troops and our troops engaged them with superior fire power that lasted for about 30 minutes. Three of our troops sustained various degree of injuries. The injured troops are currently receiving treatment.”

It would be recalled that only last week, armed Fulani militia killed the Divisional Police Officer of Gwer West LGA, Superintendent, SP, Mamud Abubakar with two other policemen, two children and three women in separate attacks.

The killer herders have laid a siege on the area in the last couple of days, with some analysts linking the attacks to the utterances of the dethroned Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi and 51 others who accused the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom of using the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law with Livestock Guards to chase Fulanis out of the state.

Speaking to journalists in Makurdi on the sad incident, the President, Tiv Youth Organization, TYO, Comrade Timothy Hembaor described the attack on the military personnel as mindless and barbaric. He wondered why the herders would ambush security men whose role was peacekeeping.

He said, “what these armed Fulanis are now doing in Benue State is not a coincidence.”

Hembaor alleged that “they must have received briefings from the elders who recently wrote a petition to President Buhari against Governor Ortom. An investigation will certainly bring out the truth. We in Benue know who our attackers are. The group of 52 must be held responsible for the renewed wave of attacks on our people.”