Benue killings: 61 killed in fresh herdsmen attacks, communal clash
Parts of Benue State had a terrible weekend as armed herdsmen killed over 46 people in two separate attacks on communities in the Apa and Gwer West Local Government areas.
This occurred after a communal conflict between the residents of Mbakine and Ojumole, also in the Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue state, resulted in the deaths of at least 15 individuals and the total destruction of 200 homes.
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According to an eyewitness, the Apa crisis began on Sunday afternoon when armed herders stormed into Ijaha Ibele Ochekwu in the Apa council, murdering two people and injuring several others.
This is coming after residents of the community left their homes in broad day light, running to safety on foot to the North Bank area of Benue state following the continued attacks.
A source said: “After that incident, people fled for their lives and, when they thought it was all over about 5p.m., the herders launched a full scale attack on Edikwu Ankpali community.
“They shot and killed the defenceless people including women and children who were running for their lives. The attack was totally unprovoked.
“As we speak, 28 bodies have been recovered from the scenes of the attacks and many persons have been moved to hospitals for medical attention.”
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At around 7 p.m. on Sunday, the raiders also broke into the nearby Gwer West council headquarters in the Tse Antswam community in Naka and began firing at whatever they could find.
It was learnt that the attack caused chaos throughout the whole Local Government Headquarters in the council, which is home to thousands of internally displaced people, or IDPs.
According to an eyewitness, the two-hour onslaught took the lives of over eighteen people, left numerous more critically injured and declared missing, and left several more fighting for their lives.
Chief Daniel Abomtse, the chairman of the Gwer West Traditional Council, bemoaned the armed herders’ ongoing attacks on his subjects, claiming that the men attacked Tse Antswam in a guerrilla manner.
Meanwhile, a violent intercommunal conflict between the residents of Mbakine and Ojumole in Gwer East LGA, Benue state resulted in 15 deaths.
An eyewitness claims that the crisis, which began as a little argument between two young people at a market on Friday, intensified throughout the weekend, resulting in the deaths of 15 people and the burning of more than 200 homes in the Ojumole neighbourhood.
Before the weekend, it was believed that the warring parties, who were the Igede and Tiv-speaking residents of Gwer East, had coexisted peacefully for more than a century.
Confirming the development, Igede Youth Leader, Andyson Egbodo, who expressed dismay at the extent of destruction and number of victims in the crisis said: “We are shocked about what happened.”
“The incident happened in Gwer East between Ojumole and Mbakine communities in the LGA. In that LGA, the Akpacha Council Ward is an Igede speaking community and they have all been living peaceful like brothers and sisters with their Tiv neighbours for over 100 years without any crisis. That is why everyone is shock about what happened which started as a minor disagreement, it was uncalled for.
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“It all started on Friday and escalated to Saturday. The entire of Ojumole was burnt down, 15 persons were killed including women and children.
“Thank God for people like the Gwer East Local Government Council Chairman who has been in touch with us, the Assembly member and the House of Representatives member, who have all moved quickly to stem the crisis.
“Already, a meeting has been called at Aliade, the council headquarters to seek peaceful resolution of the crisis.”
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