UPDATED: Again, armed invaders kill seven in Benue community

•Killer herdsmen, kidnappers on rampage in Kogi

At least seven persons were reportedly killed by suspected armed herders on Thursday night in Agbo Vengav Udam community, Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State.

The incident occurred just hours after gunmen, also believed to be armed herders, hijacked two commercial vehicles and abducted about 14 passengers near Naka, the headquarters of the local government area.

Sources told our correspondent that the attack took place around 7:00pm when the assailants stormed the community and opened fire indiscriminately on residents.

A local resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed via telephone that the attackers accessed the village through a border community in Otukpo LGA.

“They came in through the Otukpo border village, entered Agbo, and began shooting sporadically. Seven people were killed instantly, and they abducted three others,” the source said.

It was gathered that among the victims was an infant, while the child’s mother was reportedly taken by the attackers.

Five of the deceased have been deposited in a morgue in Naka, while the families of the remaining two opted for immediate burial.

The incident has sparked fear among locals, many of whom have reportedly fled their homes to avoid further violence.

Confirming the attack, Chairman of Gwer West LGA, Mr Victor Ormin, said multiple people were killed in the assault.

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“It is true that a number of people were killed in Vengav Udam village on Thursday night. Two others who sustained critical injuries are currently receiving treatment at Naka hospital,” Ormin stated.

He decried the rising wave of attacks in the area, saying: “This is becoming unbearable. The activities of these armed herders in the local government and the state at large are escalating.”

Efforts to reach the Benue State Police Command spokesperson, CSP Catherine Anene, were unsuccessful as calls to her mobile phone went unanswered.

 

Killer herdsmen, kidnappers on rampage in Kogi

 In Kogi State, suspected kidnappers and armed herdsmen, in the past few weeks, have unleashed terror on residents, particularly those in rural communities, as they allegedly raid their villages.

The affected communities include Kupa, Tajimi and Ogbaibon in Lokoja Local Government Area and Suku, Kiri, Abihi, Ike and Akutupa in the Bunu district of Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area.

Other affected areas are Bagana and Bagaji villages in Omala Local Government Area, along with several communities in Dekina Local Government Area.

According to a source, scores of herders’ camps have been established in the forests, with more herders flocking to the area daily. Several people have been killed or maimed recently, and women and girls have been victims of rape.

Recently, in Okete, Dekina Local Government Area, two women working on a farm were reported to have been raped, killed and set ablaze.

A community leader, Akowe Akofe, said, “We thought we would find them alive when we heard the news that Wednesday. But when we arrived at the farm, we found their corpses riddled with bullets and burned all over.

“We have yet to establish what offenses they committed to deserve such mistreatment from the herders on their own farm.”

Around the same time, the son of the traditional ruler of Aiyegunle Igun in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area, identified as Ojo, was kidnapped along the Kabba-Obajana Road. His abductors demanded N35 million as ransom before releasing him.

The son of the traditional ruler of Oyoo-Iwaa, a community hosting a cement plant, was not as fortunate. He was killed by his abductors. Two members of the vigilance group, who attempted to rescue him, were also killed.

Ruth Williams, a female community leader, was abducted during this incident. In response, angry youths took to the streets of the cement plant, blocking entries and exits to the community. One Daramola, who participated in the protest, said his cousin was kidnapped last month in Oyoo-Iwaa:

“These kidnappers work in groups, often wearing security uniforms. Herdsmen have taken over our farmlands and are building ‘rugas,’” Daramola added.

In Aiyetoro Kiri, Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area, six people, including a timber contractor, were kidnapped.

Eyewitnesses reported that the suspects were armed with sophisticated weapons, adding that “they targeted the only mobile phone charging shop in the town and carted away more than 50 phones.”

The national president of the Aiyetoro-Kiri Development Association, Tolufashe Olusegun, described the abduction as one of many in recent times.

He lamented that the people of Bunu could no longer access their farmlands due to frequent attacks by armed groups.

A similar fear is prevalent in Odo-Ape, also in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area, where the community was recently unsettled by the abduction of their councillor and eight others. They were taken from their homes in the middle of the night.

The traditional ruler of the community, Michael Meseko, admitted that the community has been overwhelmed by fear following these incidents.

Even the chairman of Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area, Dare Michael Zacheaus, was abducted along the Okene-Kabba Road.

He narrowly escaped when he fell down in the forest, but his three aides were not as fortunate. Millions of naira was reportedly paid for their freedom.

These incidents have sparked protests, one of which was staged by some angry women from Oke-Ere in Yagba West Local Government Area. They protested the killings of three individuals by herdsmen and the “endless reign of terror” in their community.

The women, many of whom were elderly, marched through the town half-naked, holding sticks and leaves while crying out about the constant attacks, kidnappings, and killings in the area.

They urged the government and security agencies to intervene and end the surge of violence.

The Okun Development Association (ODA), the apex socio-cultural organisation of the Okun-Yoruba people of Kogi State, expressed concern over the increasing insecurity across Okun land.

At a stakeholders security summit in Kabba, the headquarters of the Kogi-West Senatorial District, ODA President-General, Akenson Rotimi, and others expressed grave concern over the rise in cases of kidnapping and banditry, urging authorities to take more decisive action.

The Olujumu of Ijumu and chairman of the Ijumu Traditional Council, Oba Williams Olusegun Ayeni, suggested that the persistent attacks by non-indigenous criminal elements might be part of a strategy to seize the land of the Okun people and subjugate them. “This must be jointly resisted,” he said.

Major John Ojo (retd) emphasised that to curb kidnappings, the state government must “intensely commit” to community policing, reorganise the vigilance and hunter groups with better welfare packages and regular monthly remuneration, and ensure proper documentation of all strangers coming to the state.

He also urged the government to take bold action by halting trucks that transport people from the core North and neighbouring countries into Kogi State and southern Nigeria on a daily basis.