Headlines
Herders attack Benue LGAs, kill 10, injure others, as gunmen abduct nine in Kogi
Gunmen said to be herdsmen have killed 10 people and abducted scores of others in attacks in Apa, Kwande and Guma Local Government Areas of Benue State.
Reports said the herders had invaded several Benue communities with thousands of cattle since the coming of the dry season, and relentlessly attacked Ubele, Ochumekwu, Adija, Kano and Ijaha in Apa LGA in the last three days.
Confirming the attacks, National Chairman of Apa Development Association, a socio-cultural group of people, Mr. Eche Akpoko lamented the unending attacks and killings in Apa by the marauders, saying the attacks were carried out in three days.
“I can confirm to you that there were serial of attacks on the following communities: Ijaha-Ibele, where five people were killed; Ochumekwu recorded three casualties; in Adija, one person was killed, sameasKanocommunity, where one person was also killed. These were all in Apa LGA,” he said.
The attack was reported to have spread to Yelewata in Guma LGA, where a middle aged farmer, Mr. Oryiman Ifa, was hacked Sunday morning in his cassava farm by herders, who invaded his farm with their cattle, Vanguard reported
A family member said, “he was left in his pool of blood but was lucky to have been rescued by neighbours who saw him in the bush and rushed him to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, BSUTH, Makurdi, where he is receiving treatment.”
The herders were also reported to have invaded Moon on River Mkomun close to the Cameroon boundary with Benue State on Sunday evening, where the locals were said to have been surrounded and trapped by the marauders who threatened to kill them.
“Some of the trapped villagers were able to escape upon payment of N5,000 each to those who helped them to escape from the entrapment,” he said.
Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene said she had not received information on the attacks.r
Gunmen abduct nine Jehovah Witnesses in Kogi, demand N30m
In a related development, nine travellers, including two women, four men and two female students, have been kidnapped along Kabba-Lokoja Road in Kogi State.
Reports said the incident occured last Saturday about 4:30p.m., when the passengers who were travelling from Kabba to Lokoja for a church convention were stopped and whisked into the bush.
The victims, who were all members of the Jehovah Witness, were said to have taken off from the Kingdom Hall in Kabba.
Husband to one of the victim, Mr. Elupo Eliazer, said the kidnappers have made contact with the family with their demands.
He said: “They called to demand first for N30 million but later reduced it to N2.6 million after negotiation.
“My wife and I were travelling to attend our church convention scheduled for Lokoja, but I decided to follow a different vehicle as the Toyota bus could not contain all of us, else I would have been in the car with her.”
Eliazer, who is a Person With Disability said the vehicle his wife travelled with was ahead of the one he was in but all the occupants of the bus were already marched in to the bush before the vehicle he boarded got to the spot.”
He said the kidnappers had warned them not to inform or involve the police.
However, the Police Public Relations Officer, William Aya, when contacted promised to find out and get back with the details later. He was, however
