Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen yesterday burnt to death a pregnant woman and butchered her son and several others in a Makurdi environ.
This is even as soldiers at Dangote Cement Plant, Gboko, also allegedly shot to death seven persons right at the gate of the factory.
It was gathered that the pregnant woman and her deceased son had gone to farm at Iwenge village, near Welfare Quarters located on Makurdi- Otukpo road of the state capital. They were working in the farm at about 10 am when the gunmen attacked and killed them.
Yesterday, there was pandemonium in both Kanshio, an outskirt of Makurdi, and Gboko, as youths went wide in protest.
In Kanshio, the corpse were a conveyed to the Ter Makurdi, Chief Sule Abenga’s palace where the youth insisted that he must address them with a view to put an end to the lingering crisis.
Sources at the Ter Makurdi’s residence said when the gunmen invaded the farm and started fighting with the deceased and her son and some passersby quickly rushed to the place to render help, but they were overwhelmed by the invaders.
However, Chief Sule Abenga told newsmen that the attack was mischievous and that the action of the youth to have moved corpses to his house was a deliberate attempt owing to the allegations that traditional rulers were accused to have had hand in the crisis.
Meanwhile, in Gboko, sources said a member of the host community had gone to defaecate close to the fence of the company and when he got arrested, he engaged the soldiers in fisticuffs where an accidental discharge occurred with a bullet hitting his mouth.
Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ezeala, confirmed the incident, saying that investigation on the matter was ongoing.
