Six killed as herdsmen invade Benue community again

Troops of Operations Whirl Stroke of the Nigerian Army in the early hours of Tuesday killed four suspected herdsmen who invaded the Agasha community in Guma local government area of Benue State.

Tribune Online learnt that the suspected herdsmen had early in the morning of Tuesday killed two people and shot an elderly woman in the community before soldiers who were on patrol pursued them and killed four of the herdsmen.

A local in the community who did not want to be named told our correspondent that the herdsmen had stormed the community and attacked a house near a primary school, shot and killed two people.

According to the local, “The herdsmen invaded this community, (Agasha) around 4:00 am this morning (Tuesday) killed two men and shot an old woman in her house near LGEA primary schools, Agasha.

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“But for the soldiers who were on patrol in the area, the marauding herdsmen would have wreaked more havoc.

“As the herdsmen were unleashing terror on the community, we heard the vehicle of the soldiers which perhaps made the herdsmen flee while the soldiers were reported to have pursued them into the bush and we learnt that they (soldiers) were able to kill four of them (herdsmen).

In a swift response, troops of Operations Whirl Stroke were said to have succeeded in repelling the herdsmen.

The force commander of Operations Whirl Stroke, Major General Adeyemi Yekini told our correspondent that troops succeeded in killing four of the invading herdsmen.

According to General Yekini, “some suspected armed herdsmen infiltrated Agasha in Guma LGA of Benue State and killed two villagers overnight.

“Operation Whirl Stroke troops on patrol in the area were immediately mobilised to the scene but the herdsmen had fled before their arrival.

“Troops subsequently tracked the assailants through some of the nearby communities overnight while other troops deployed at Tomatar across the river also in Guma blocked the escape route towards Nasarawa State.

“At about 0600hrs this morning, troops had contact with the armed herdsmen at a makeshift camp close to the Benue River during which four of the assailants were killed,” General Yekini said.

The force commander said that two AK 47 rifles, four magazines and 65 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition were recovered from the bandits.

General Yekini said that the troops did not sustain any casualty during the operation, adding, “troops are currently on a search and destroy  operation in the general area.”

It will be recalled that the suspected herdsmen have in recent times turned Guma to a battlefield, hardly will a week pass by without a report of herdsmen invasion of communities in the local government with its attendance fatality.