Suspected herdsmen kill 12 in Benue

Suspected Fulani herdsmen in the early hours of Sunday launched simultaneous attacks on some communities in Ado Local Government Area of Benue State which left 12 people dead.

Several people have been reported missing with over 5,000 people displaced.

The lawmaker representing Ado/Ogbadibo/Okpokwu federal constituency, Francis Otta Agbo had told Tribune Online that Izzi settlements of Tologa, Ndi-Obasi, Odoken in Ekile Ward Ado LGA were badly affected.

He added that Izzi people in Obakoto, Odirewu, Offianka, Nwedoga in Ijigban Ward have been deserted for fear of Fulani Marauders invasion.

The lawmaker also raised the alarm that “the Effium and Ezza crisis resurfaced this morning with so many people killed again.”

Some residents of the areas affected said that the suspected herdsmen invaded their communities between 11pm on Saturday till early hours of Sunday, killing and maiming innocent people.

The Chairman of the local government, James Oche, confirmed the simultaneous attack on five communities in Ekile ward and stated that 12 persons were killed during the attack.

The chairman in a telephone chat said that the attackers might have come on reprisal attack following the killing of an elderly man who was living with his children numbering 23 some time ago.

The council boss said that it was suspected IPOB members who crossed over from Ebonyi State to Benue State that killed the elderly Fulani man, he identified as Muhammad Isah.

Oche said, “I suspect that the herders came on reprisal attack because of one elderly Fulani man known as Isah Muhammad who lived in one of the affected communities that shared boundary with Ohakwu local government area of Ebonyi State and was recently killed by IPOB members who crossed over to the community in Ado.

“The IPOB members killed the Fulani man in anger that their people were being killed in the north. We have had peace with them and it was established that Ado people were not responsible for the death  of that man. The deputy governor of Benue State is aware of the situation and Benue State government agreed to sponsor one of the deceased children in school. I wonder why this unwarranted and unprovoked attacked on innocent people of Ado,” he said.

Oche said that a combined team of security agencies have been deployed to the area to beef up security.

Meanwhile, Benue State Command spokesperson, DSP Catherine Anene could not be reached on the phone as she did not pick her call at the time of filing this report.

(Nigerian Tribune)