Richard Elesho
In spite of the recent serial successes recorded by the military especially in the Northeast region of the country, gunmen have continued to devastate part of Benue State, in the Northcentral area.
Not less than 17 people have been reported killed by the rampaging criminals in Agatu and Katsina Ala Local Government Areas of the State in the last few days.
Daily Trust reports that witnesses said 15 people were allegedly killed in Kastina-Ala communities by armed invaders while the remaining two lost their lives in Agatu in circumstances which some blamed on the activities of cultists.
A resident, who preferred not to be named, alleged that people were being kidnapped and women raped on daily basis.
“Let no one lie, the killing is still ongoing in the rural areas, most especially in Mbatyula, Mbayongo and Yooyo council wards of the Kastina-Ala Local Government Area.
“Not less than seven people in Mbatyula council ward were killed on Tuesday while Emmanuel Apever’s wife from Kenvanger was abducted to an unknown destination. In Tse Ate, three persons were killed and another two persons also killed at Saawua compound while three were reportedly killed in Tse Asaa, all in Mbagbeentya community of Mbatyula council ward,” the resident alleged.
Also, the Information Officer of the Kastina-Ala council, Tertsea Benga, confirmed the development, saying that some armed invaders were doing bad things to the villagers despite the success recorded so far by security operatives drafted to the area.
On his part, the secretary of Agatu LGA, Sunday Oteyi, said two persons, who went fishing in Aila, a rural community in Agatu, were hacked to death by unidentified culprits.
He said the bodies of the deceased have been recovered by the police in the area and deposited at a hospital morgue.
It was learnt that there was renewed disagreement on Tuesday between Aila and Abugbe communities of Agatu.
But the Chairman of Agatu LGA, Sule Adoyi, in a telephone interview, dismissed any fresh hostility among the people, stating rather that, “we are on top of the situation.”
Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for Benue Command, DSP Catherine Anene, said she would find out if there were such reports from police in the affected areas.
Anene was yet to do so at the time of filing this report.
It would be recalled that, Benue is among the states seriously affected by increasing insecurity in the country. Aside rampant Herdsmen attack, the Governor of the State, Samuel Ortom had narrowly escaped attack on his farm earlier this year.