…As bandits abduct 14 travellers
By Peter Duru
MAKURDI—Seven persons have been killed in two separate attacks in Benue State.
In the first attack, five people were killed by suspected armed herdsmen on Entekpa community, Adoka, Otukpo Local Government Area of the state, while gunmen on Monday night along the Utonkon axis of the state, ambushed a commercial bus conveying passengers, killing two persons and abducting 14 others.
In the Adoka attack, several villagers sustained gunshot wounds, while scores remain unaccounted for, according to a source in the area.
The community member disclosed that the attackers arrived with a large number of cattle before suddenly opening fire on residents.
“They came with many cows, and nobody spoke to them. Suddenly, they started shooting innocent people and burning houses,” he said.
The source added that the casualty figure could have been far higher if residents had not fled quickly. “Many people were saved because they managed to escape the unprovoked attack,” he noted.
Oliver Inalegwu, the Ward Head of Entekpa, confirmed the incident, saying, “It was herdsmen that attacked the village on Monday and killed five people.”
He described the development as shocking. “The village is now empty. We went there with the Council Chairman this morning(yesterday), and there was blood everywhere, it is shocking,” he said.
Otukpo Local Government Chairman, Maxwell Ogiri, who visited the scene, explained that the attack involved careful planning.
“At first, it seemed like strangers and cattle were coming from one direction. The cattle were just a decoy,” Ogiri said.
He said the herdsmen approached from another direction, taking strategic positions on trees before launching the assault.
“Instantly, five people were killed, and others sustained gunshot injuries. The injured have been rushed to different hospitals,” the Chairman said.
Ogiri said the attackers initially burnt a house, which marked the start of the violence, before shooting indiscriminately at villagers.
He assured that security forces, including the military, had since moved into the area to contain the situation. “When I was leaving, the military were moving in large numbers, and we mobilised our civil protection guards,” Ogiri said.
The Chairman highlighted the vulnerability of the populace saying “the locals are largely defenseless, with only small hunting guns to protect themselves.
“The attack has created a humanitarian crisis, as many displaced residents are now scattered among relatives in nearby communities rather than in formal IDP camps,” he lamented.
Ogiri added that the Deputy Governor had promised relief materials for the displaced, while police were reportedly sending additional troops to restore security.
Efforts to reach the Benue State Police Command spokesperson, Udeme Edet, for comments were unsuccessful.
Gunmen kill two, abduct 14 travellers on Benue highway
This came barely 24 hours after nine worshippers were abducted from from St. John’s Catholic Church, Ojije in same Utonkon, during a night vigil.
It was gathered that the bus, which was carrying 16 passengers from Oju and Obi Local Government Areas, was reportedly heading to the South-West when it was intercepted by armed assailants about 7p.m., along the Utonkon–Ojapo/Okpoga Road.
A youth leader in Utonkon, who spoke on condition of anonymity said the victims had departed Iheijwo Market in Oju LGA earlier that evening before running into the assailants.
“They left Iheijwo Market about 7p.m., full of hope and expectation, but unfortunately ran into kidnappers along the Utonkon road,” he said.
According to him, the gunmen ordered the driver to stop, but when he attempted to drive through, they opened fire, killing two passengers on the spot.
“When the driver refused to stop, they started shooting. Two people were killed instantly, while the rest were forced out of the bus and taken into the bush,” he explained.
He added that the attackers confiscated the passengers’ mobile phones to prevent them from contacting their families or alerting security agencies.
It was gathered that the gunmen initially took all remaining 14 passengers into the forest, but two of them later managed to regain their freedom under unclear circumstances.
At press time, the abandoned bus was said to be at the Utonkon Police Station, while the whereabouts of the remaining twelve abducted passengers remain unknown.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Oju LGA, Mr. Jackson Onmiyi, said the attack occurred at the boundary between Ado and Okpokwu councils.
“Two of the victims were rescued alive, but sadly, two others were killed by the armed men. Search operations are ongoing to secure the release of the remaining twelve persons still in captivity,” he said.
He commended the Chairman of Okpokwu council for his prompt intervention, noting that his efforts contributed significantly to the rescue of the two survivors.
“We are doing everything possible, in collaboration with security agencies, to ensure that the abducted passengers were rescued safely,” the Oju Chairman assured.
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