By Amos Aar
KILLERS suspected to be Fulani herdsmen militia on Thursday attacked a community opposite Abagana Internally Displaced Persons Camp (IDP) in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, killing all members in a family of six, and two internally displaced persons (IDPs) as they also carted away two motorcycles.
One of the survivors of the attack, Terver Igbugh, told National Record on phone that the suspected Fulani militia came without cows and were armed with sophisticated weapons, killing several other people in the area.
“They came at about 10pm when some people were already sleeping and they killed six persons in a family. Other people are still missing while some were seriously wounded with gunshots,” Igbugh disclosed.
Mr Nathaniel Ikyur, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Samuel Ortom, in a statement on social media on Friday confirmed the report, stating that eight corpses, including women and children were recovered so far, while several others seriously injured were rushed to hospital for treatment.
“Some of the bodies were beheaded and their heads taken away by the bandits”, Ikyur said, revealing that the news of the attack and killings were confirmed by the Special Adviser on Security Matters to the Benue State Governor, Lt. Col Paul Hemba (rtd).
Ikyur noted in the statement that as at the time of releasing the statement, security personnel and other villagers were still combing the bushes for more victims who were shot by the invaders, and that the casualty figure was likely to rise as some other persons who sustained severe gunshot injuries might not survive the injuries.
According to the statement, the names of those killed include Gbashaor Acho, Gbashaor Joseph, Anshe Dekera, Ancho Kpor, Eunice Gbashaor, Sewuese Gbashaor, Terlumun Ajoh, Emberga Gbashaor and Donald Gbashaor.
Benue State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Superintendent of Police (SP), Sewuese Anene, also confirmed the attack to newsmen in a WhatsApp group and promised to avail them more details as soon as possible.
“Abagana attack confirmed. Details will be communicated to you as soon as I get it”, Anene stated briefly.
Abagana an IDP camp was set up by the Benue State Government along Makurdi-Lafia Road close to defunct Agan Tollgate. The IDP Camp houses thousands of people displaced from their ancestral homes as a result of herdsmen attack in Makurdi and Guma local government areas of the state.
It can be recalled that, suspected Fulani herdsmen militia launched attack on the Abagana IDP camp on April 26, 2021 which claimed seven lives.
