Again, Fulani herdsmen last Friday night and early yesterday invaded Saghev Ward of Guma Local Government Council , Benue State , killing more than 20 people .
Sources from the area told The Guardian that the affected communities are Tse – Abi, Tse – Ginde , Tse -Peviv , Tse -Ikyo, Agenke and Gbenke settlements , while an official of the local council also said over 10 corpses have been recovered with many others injured .
The council official said the attack began about 9 pm and lasted till six a .m . yesterday. “All of a sudden , we began to hear gun shots , then those who could , started running for their lives .
Some of us ran fast to where Mobile police were stationed around the areas , but they could not do anything to protect us . I don’t blame them because the herdsmen were armed to the teeth ,” he said .
John Torsa , a resident , said : “Majority of the people had already gone to bed , because it was about to rain and everybody had run into his or her tents , then they struck.”
Confirming the incident , the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Samuel Ortom , Terver Akase , said apart from the killing , the armed herdsmen also burnt numerous houses, shops and other property in the affected areas , even as he condemned the attack as mindless and unprovoked .
Akase urged security agencies to do the needful, by arresting the herdsmen behind the killings for prosecution. However , as at the time of filing this report , the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Moses Yamu , could not confirm the incident , and pleaded for more time .
In another gory incidence, not less than six members of the ruling All Progressives Congress ( APC ) in Benue State were allegedly killed and several others injured during the party ’s Benue South Senatorial caucus meeting , held at Otukpo , Friday .
It was gathered that during the meeting , fight broke out between supporters of the current state chairman of the party , Comrade Abbah Yaro, and an incumbent member of House of Representatives , representing Ado/ Okpokwu / Ogbadibo federal Constituency, Hassan Saleh