No fewer than 27 people have been killed in fresh attacks in Benue and Plateau states, with suspected armed herders reportedly killing 18 persons in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State and gunmen wiping out a family of nine, including a two-month-old baby, in Plateau State.
The latest attacks have heightened fears over the worsening security situation in the North-Central region, coming barely two weeks after the killing of the Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Ardo Risku Mohammed, and his associate, Yakubu Isah.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the Benue attacks occurred in two phases.
The first incident happened on Friday when suspected armed herders invaded Akpachi village in Ugboju community and killed two farmers working on their farmland. Their bodies were recovered on Saturday and buried.
Barely 24 hours later, at about 4 a.m. on Sunday, the attackers reportedly stormed Otukpo-Nobi community, killing at least 16 residents, including women and children, while several others sustained injuries.
The killings sparked outrage across Otukpo as angry youths carried the bodies of some victims to the palace of the Och’Idoma, where they disrupted an ongoing church service to protest the incessant attacks.
The protesters accused the government and security agencies of failing to protect residents and demanded urgent action to end the bloodshed.
The demonstration paralysed commercial activities in the town as protesters blocked major roads, leaving commuters stranded for several hours.
A resident, Ebi Adoyi, said many families had been thrown into mourning, warning that the death toll could increase as the search for missing persons continued.
He said, “After killing two people in Akpachi on Friday, they attacked Otukpo-Nobi, killing 16 persons, including women and children. My neighbour lost her elder sister and her children in that attack.”
The Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the attacks, saying they could be connected to reprisals following the killing of the state chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria.
According to him, one of three farmers escaped the initial attack in Akpachi and alerted the community after two others were killed.
“We recovered the corpses on Saturday and buried them. We combed the bushes believing the attackers had fled, but around 4 a.m. on Sunday, we received reports that they had besieged Otukpo-Nobi, killing several people and injuring many others,” Ogiri said.
He added that efforts were underway to evacuate survivors to safer locations, provide medical care for the injured and reinforce security in the affected communities.
Reacting, Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, condemned the killings, describing them as barbaric and unacceptable.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, the governor directed security agencies to intensify surveillance, collaborate with neighbouring states, track down the perpetrators and ensure they faced prosecution.
Meanwhile, in Plateau State, suspected gunmen attacked Kum and Wereng-Camp communities in Riyom Local Government Area late Saturday night.
Residents said the attackers invaded the communities around 11:30 p.m., shooting indiscriminately for more than one hour and forcing residents to flee into nearby bushes.
A resident, Precious Tok, said nine members of the same family, including a two-month-old baby, were killed during the assault.
He added that the village head sustained critical injuries after he was attacked by the gunmen.