•10 feared dead in fresh herdsmen attack in Benue
Few days after Abdulrahman Dambazzau, Minister of Interior, led a Federal Government delegation to troubled Kaduna communities, at least 10 people were reported killed in different attacks across the state on Thursday.
Sources claimed that armed men shot ten people in the attacks which also claimed the life of a village head.
In Asso village, Jama’a Local Government Area, the gunmen shot at their victims at about 10am when they were returning from a visit to a sick relative at a hospital in Kafanchan.
Also gunmen invaded Sarari, a village in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area about 2pm and went on a house to house rampage.
A resident of the village gave an account of the shooting.
He said: “They were well armed and they went from house to house shooting at people.
“Everybody was running for safety. Our village head and eight other people were killed.
“Those wounded were taken to a Primary Health Centre in a neigbouring town.”
Nicholas Garba, a member of House of Representatives, representing Jema/Sanga federal constituency, confirmed the attack in Asso and said it was the third in the community.
“This will be the third time that an attack will be carried out from the uncompleted Asso Bridge,” he said.
The lawmaker called for the intervention of the state governor, Nasir el-Rufai.
“I am also appealing to the military task force based in Kafanchan to work harder to fish out these agents of darkness,” he said.
He added: “Until the state is able to fish out, expose and punish the perpetrators of these heinous crimes, for so long will these criminals continue on their path of perfidy.”
Meanwhile, about ten persons were feared killed in an early morning attack by suspected Fulani herdsmen on Thursday on Mbakyondo, Mbakpa and Sengaev communities in Agagbe district of Gwer West Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State.
Residents said that herdsmen attacked the communities from all directions about 2 a.m. and were shooting sporadically.
Some of them were said to have been murdered in their sleep while others were killed as they rushed out of their homes.
Many others who survived the attacks were badly injured in the confusion that ensued.
A source explained that the invading herdsmen set several houses ablaze during the attack.
One of the survivors, Basil Aondokaa, explained that they were woken up by gunshots and screaming of people.
He said, “We were sleeping when we heard sudden screaming and gunshots. I immediately woke up and grabbed my two children and my wife followed me and we escaped through the bush.
“We could not carry anything because the attack was sudden, there was confusion everywhere because of the sporadic shootings by the herdsmen.” (THE INDEPENDENT)
