By Amos Aar
SUSPECTED bandits last night attacked Ayati, a community in Ukum local government area of Benue State, killing over thirty persons, the state Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Mr Matthew Aboh, said.
Although the commissioner confirmed the recovery of 30 dead bodies and more being recovered from the bush during a media interaction in his office on Friday, a source from the area who pleaded anonymity told National Record earlier that those killed were over 100.
The commissioner, who was also kidnapped but released some months ago, attributed the endless killings in Sankera to a tussle over supremacy by two kingpins from the axis.
“Bandits came from one side and began to attack people in Ayati, killing a number of persons. So, today, I confirmed that the number of persons killed, as I talk to you, is 30 persons. They are still recovering other corpses in the bush.
“So, the number is yet to be ascertained. Security has been deployed to that place to return calmness to that place.
“It is a fight among the bandits themselves, all of them are claiming supremacy.
“In Ayati, what I heard is that one of the bandits, his maternal village is in Ayati and then the one, his maternal village is from Tinenune, Mbatian. All of them are tough and they are fighting among themselves.
“So, each time this one goes to the maternal place of the other one and kill people, the other one will go to the other side and retaliate. So, there has been reprisal attacks here and there,” the commissioner revealed.
The Ayati community has suffered more than five attacks in less than two years and each time the bandits strike, no fewer than twenty lives are lost.
