Suspected Fulani herdsmen on Friday night invaded Tse Ancha, Agan community, in the Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State and reportedly murdered eight people.
Tse Ancha is about a kilometre to an internally-displaced persons’ camp in Abegana, where seven people were killed by the suspected herdsmen about three weeks ago.
The invasion and gruesome murder of the eight people including the head of the community came barely 12 hours after the victims of the Abegana IDP camp were buried.
The casualties, according to a source in the community would have been more but for the prompt response of some youths who were at a wake in a nearby village and raced to the scene.
The council Chairman, Anthony Dyegeh, who confirmed the attack on Saturday, said the suspected herders could have wiped out Tse Ancha and proceeded to neighbouring villages but for the swift response from the youths.
Dyegeh said, “They (suspected herdsmen) operated in a commando fashion and in about 10 minutes, they disappeared. Eight people were killed and five injured. Among those killed was the kindred head of the village. He was among the people who accompanied me to the burial of seven people killed at Abagena IDP camp. We parted around 9pm yesterday (Friday) only for him to be killed at five minutes to midnight alongside others.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Catherine Anene, in a terse message confirmed the attack.
She simply said, “Agan incident confirmed.”
In Zamfara State, bandits reportedly shot dead eight farmers in their farmlands in Damaga village of Maradun Local Government Area of the state on Saturday.
A farmer, Mohammed Sani, who narrowly escaped death said that the bandits invaded the farmlands around 9am when the farmers were busy clearing their farms preparatory to a new farming season.
He said, “The bandits, who were on motorcycles, invaded our farms around 9am and began to shoot people they met on the farmland. They were able to kill eight people and wounded many, while others ran helter-skelter for their lives.
The spokesperson for the police in the state, SP Mohammed Shehu, said the command had commenced investigation on the incident.
Shehu said, “I will get back to you as soon as we finish our investigation.”
In Anambra, gunmen killed two officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps while their rifles were taken away and their operational vehicle set ablaze.
The NSCDC Public Relations Officer in the state, Okadigbo Edwin, said the incident happened in Nneyi, Umueri in the Anambra East Local Government Area of the state during a gun duel.
He said, “Some yet-to-be identified hoodlums attacked the civil defence outpost in Nneyi, Umueri, shooting indiscriminately.
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