11 killed in fresh attacks on Benue communities

Eleven people have been killed in attacks by armed assailants on rural communities in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State. According to local sources, the attacks occurred between Saturday evening and the early hours of Sunday in Dikpo, Imande Gberihwa, and Utange council ward. Residents said the assailants launched their assault around 8 pm […]

Eleven people have been killed in attacks by armed assailants on rural communities in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.

According to local sources, the attacks occurred between Saturday evening and the early hours of Sunday in Dikpo, Imande Gberihwa, and Utange council ward.

Residents said the assailants launched their assault around 8 pm on Saturday and continued their rampage into Sunday morning, targeting villages such as Tse-Ajo and Mbagena-Kpav.

Among the victims were five members of the same family, they said.

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“As we speak, many people are still unaccounted for, and the death toll could be higher than 11,” a resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told our correspondent over the phone.

Another resident, also preferring anonymity, said his family had been displaced and had sought refuge in a border village in neighbouring Taraba State.

Confirming the attack, the Chairman of Katsina-Ala LGA, Justine Shaku, said 11 people were killed, while seven others sustained serious injuries.

He also said several houses were set ablaze, and food supplies were destroyed.

When contacted for a response, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) denied any knowledge of the attack.

The state chairman of MACBAN, Mohammed Risku, said he was unaware of the incident but would reach out to the association’s leadership in the affected area for further information.

However, he had yet to provide an update at the time of filing this report.

In response to the tragedy, Governor Hyacinth Alia extended his condolences to the bereaved families and the affected communities of Kpav, particularly Dikpo and Imande Gberihwa.

“This level of brutality is deeply troubling and will not be tolerated,” Alia said in a statement on Sunday by his spokesperson, Tersoo Kula.

The governor assured residents that security forces had been deployed to the affected areas and that additional measures were being taken to track down the perpetrators and prevent further attacks.