At least 10 persons were killed, many injured and others missing when herdsmen, in the late hours of Wednesday, attacked five communities in Gwer-West local government area of Benue state.
The communities are Mbapa, Mbapupuu, Mbachohon, and Enger, all in Agagbe District of Gwer-West local government area.
The locals said the herdsmen came in gorilla style of warfare and attacked the farming communities around 11pm when most of the residents were in their sleep.
Survivors of the attack, Aondoakaa Basil, Torkebbi Yubee and Msughter Anzwa, said most people have fled their homes following the attack.
One of the locals Aondokaa Basil noted that they were woken by screaming and gun shots from a neighbouring compound.
“We were sleeping when we heard sudden screaming and gunshots.
I immediately woke up and grabbed my 2 children, my wife followed me and we escaped through the bush.
“We could not carry anything because the attack was sudden, there was confusion everywhere because of the sporadic gunshots by the herdsmen.
Blueprint gathered that some of the neighbouring villages for fear of attack by the herdsmen deserted their houses to seek refuge in Naka, the Gwer- west local government headquarters.
But, Commissioner of Police, Benue state Command, Fatai Owoseni said the attack was carried out by bandits who attempted to abduct some persons resulting to the death of two persons.
He said some bandits, highly mobile and specialised in cattle rustling believed to have been chased from Zamfara, were operating in the state.
“We have not witnessed any case of attack on Gwer West communities by herdsmen.
“What we have is abduction which two persons were killed by some armed bandits.
“From intelligence report we have, armed marauders who have connections and are highly mobile involve in cattle rustling and transborder criminal activities are operating in the state.
“We have been monitoring the group of bandits which have a network of informants within the state, among the locals and of course herders who specialise in rustling.
“Some of them are criminal elements chased from Zamfara and of course some foreigners,” he noted.
He said what is happening in the state was infiltration of criminals who are using farmers’, herdsmen crisis as smokescreen to perpetrate crime.
