Reports reaching us indicates that about Seven internally displaced persons (IDPs) taking
refuge at the African Church and LGEA Primary School, Mondo, were,
yesterday, killed in Ukemberagya, Gaambe-Tiev, Logo Local Government
Area of Benue State.
The latest attack is just two days after the
killing of two Catholic priests and 17 parishioners in Mbalom, Gwer
Local Government Area, and barely 24 hours after the murder of 37
persons in Guma on Wednesday.
A community leader in the area,
Chief Joseph Anawah, told Daily Sun that the attackers stormed the area
around 12:22am while the people were still sleeping. He said the victims
were among those camped in African Church and LGEA Primary School,
Mondo, after they were displaced from their homes by suspected herdsmen.
“At
about 12:22am, gunshots were heard in the area that woke the people up,
as they scampered for safety. In the process, seven of them were killed
on the spot and several others are said to be missing. The marauders
did not stop there, they went ahead to mount a roadblock along
Wukari-Anyiin road and seized more than four motorcycles. As I speak
with you, the area is completely deserted,” he said.
Chairman of the local government area, Mr. Richard Nyajo, who confirmed the report, said seven persons were killed.
Reacting
to the incident, the acting governor, Engr. Benson Abounu, lamented
that the state was under the siege of Fulani herdsmen from all corners.
He urged the Federal Government as well as security chiefs to get to the
root of the incessant killings, with a view to finding a lasting
solution.
However, the police could not be reached at the time of
this report as both the commissioner of police in the state, Fatai
Owoseni, and the state’s police public relations officer, ASP Moses
Yamu, did not pick their calls.