Leadership.ng reported that people of Mbagena, Dikpo, and Imande Gberihwa in the Mchihi council ward of the Katsina/Ala Local Government Area of Benue State fled in panic when the suspected armed herders killed at least 13 farmers.
Confirming the raid, the Council Chair, Shaku Justin, told our reporter in a phone interview that the assailants raided the surrounding towns at approximately 7 p.m. and shot indiscriminately at the people.
We pulled out 13 bodies from the area and surrounding bushes after the operation, which took over an hour, said Justin. Security agents continue searching for the remaining missing persons.
Seven of the seriously injured were taken at first to the Abaji health center and referred to the General Hospital Katsina/Ala for specialized care. The attack also saw the mass displacement of individuals, with the bulk of the residents having been compelled to abandon their homes.
Relief camps have thus been established in the area in order to accommodate the displaced persons. Justin, with Solomon Wombo, member for the Katsina/Ala/Ukum/Logo Federal Constituency, visited the affected areas for the purpose of ascertaining the extent of the damage in order to ensure the residents of increased security.
In the meantime, Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the attack in strong terms, calling it barbaric. The governor sympathized with the victims’ families in a statement released by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, and assured them of his efforts towards bringing the culprits of the crime to book to face the law. “No such level of violence will be allowed any longer,” Alia said. Security officials have been deployed at the hotspots, while other efforts are being made to arrest the assailants and prevent such attacks. Alia assured the people the government was committed to their safety, calling on them to remain vigilant and inform the authorities of suspicious persons.
We can see the fear and the uncertainty the attacks create, but we remain resolute in our determination to protect our people, the governor said. We will see us through the crisis and protect our homes and our families.
Governor Alia also urged the people of Benue to desist from violence and prayed for the victims of the attack whose lives were cut short.
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