Herders kill Volunteer Guards member, 6 others in Benue

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Herders kill Volunteer Guards member, 6 others in Benue

A member of the Benue State Community Volunteer Guards, BSCVGs, and six others have been killed by suspected armed herdsmen in a fresh attack on Tse Fela in Mbabuande Council Ward and Tse Akyegh in Ikaaghev Council Ward of Gwer West Local Government Area of the state.

It was gathered that the BSCVGs member, who was killed in the attack was the Ward Commander of the Guards.

It will be recalled that the two council wards had not long suffered the same fate, when the marauders sacked several villages in the area, killing many and rendering hundreds of families homeless.

According to the source in the area, the marauders, who stormed the villages at 3 p.m., on Tuesday attacked the villages simultaneously from two fronts, killing anyone they caught up with.

He said: “It was more of a coordinated attack because they came from neighbouring Nasarawa State at the same time and attacked the two villages. They came shooting sporadically and anyone that could not escape was killed.

“They killed the Ward Head of BSCVGs and six others for no reason because we had no previous incidents with them. In fact, they were the ones who, few weeks back, attacked our people without reason.

“But before this latest incident, some people had noticed strange movements in the villages and raised the alarmed, which helped most of the people to flee for their lives but those that could not escape ended up being killed.”

District Head of Ikaaghev, Chief Adi-Bata, who confirmed the killings, said if the alarm had not been raised to alert the people, the casualty figure would have been much higher.

Bata appealed to security agencies to intensify patrols in the area to save the people from the blood thirsty marauders.

Confirming the development, chairman of the council, Mr. Andrew Ayande, said seven persons were killed in the attack, adding that the communities had been deserted.

He said: “I am sad because the Fulanis are on a mission to chase us away from our communities. It is just sad because these attacks are happening repeatedly.”

Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, said she was yet to receive details of the incident.