Herdsmen Kill Over 60 Residents In Benue

At least 60 people, including two police officers, have been gruesomely murdered by gunmen suspected to be herdsmen in Ayati village in the Ukum Local Government area of Benue State.

According to a villager who lost five of his relatives during the attack, the gunmen stormed the community Thursday evening and unleashed terror on the residents.

“On 08/08/2024, at about 1630 hrs, while normal daily activities were going on in Ayati village, Ukum Local Government Area of Benue state, a large number of armed bandits invaded the village and started shooting sporadically at members of the community, killing over 60 of the villagers,” the source said.

This is coming a few weeks after the killing of 11 people in Ayati community.

The incident sparked a violent demonstration that resulted in the damage of private and public property in the area.

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• Gov Alia Expresses Worry

Meanwhile, Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has expressed sadness over another unprovoked attack on Ayati Village in Ukum Local Government Area, where many people were reportedly killed.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Tersoo Kula, made available to newsmen in Makurdi on Friday, the governor condemned the new wave of attacks.

The governor, who expressed worry over the attack on unarmed innocent citizens by armed bandits, said such heinous acts have continued in the state despite the strong security presence.

He, however, made a firm decision to continue to use lawful procedures to protect Benue people, particularly Ukum, which has been on the front lines of attacks lately.

Alia called on security agencies to improve their surveillance and ensure that vulnerable communities were not left unguarded.

The governor condoled with the families that lost their loved ones in the unfortunate attack and prayed to God to comfort them.

He assured the people that his administration would continue to explore both discreet and open measures to ensure that Sankera retraces her path of peace and lives happily again.