Thirty-three persons have been feared killed by suspected herdsmen in coordinated attacks on Gwer West and Apa Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Benue State, leaving many residents missing as the affected communities begin headcounts on Monday morning.
At about 7pm on Sunday, residents of Tse-Antswam in Naka town, the headquarters of Gwer West LGA came under attack by suspected herdsmen, leaving 17 people dead, as others fled for their lives.
A community leader, Patrick Modoom, confirmed the casualty figures to Newsmen via telephone. “Seventeen corpses have so far been recovered at Tse-Antswam, a community by the LGEA primary school Naka, close to the Federal Government Dam project,” he said.
Modoom added that “many people are still missing as headcount is being carried out, with many others displaced into the primary school where police personnel from the town and vigilantes are providing security”.
“This attack happened not too far from the military checkpoint from Naka town but not a single response from the military when we raised alarm about the attack, leaving our people vulnerable while the attack lasted,” he added.
Gwer West has 15 political council wards and 14 of those have been affected by herdsmen attacks, leaving Naka town as the safe place to run for the people but last night’s attack has compromised public safety at the local government headquarters.
Meanwhile, 16 persons were killed in Edikwu and Ankpali communities from the neighboring Apa LGA, leaving many people killed.
According to the lawmaker representing the Apa State Constituency at the Benue State House of Assembly, Abu Umoru, “16 persons have been confirmed killed but many are still missing”.
Just last Saturday, 14 female traders who were returning from a Market in Enugu State, were kidnapped along Owukpa road in a Benue Link bus with their whereabouts unknown.
The police in the state are yet to comment on the latest attacks.
