SAA event in Benue, Agatu area, Nigeria on Thu 1st February 2024

No fewer than 15 residents were reported to have been murdered in Wednesday evening’s attack by armed herdsmen on Ugboju community in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State.

The attack also left many persons injured and several others are also unaccounted for.

Among the missing were children of different ages who were reported to have been abducted from the community and whisked away by the invaders to neighbouring Nasarawa State from where the attack was launched, Vanguard reports.

A source in the area who identified himself as Inalegwu, disclosed that the marauders Wednesday surrounded the community at about 5pm and opened fire on the unsuspecting members of the community.

He said, “They came at about 5pm from Nasarawa State from where they are always launching attacks on Agatu communities.

“After surrounding the village at about 5pm, they started shooting sporadically. People ran for their lives but they gunned down several persons and injured many others.

“After killing the people, they took away several children that could not escape with their parents. And nobody can tell the number of children they have with them. Apart from the children, several persons are also missing and some others sustained injuries.”

“After they retreated yesterday, eight corpses were recovered and today being Thursday, seven more corpses have been recovered and the search is still ongoing. So more corpses might still be recovered at the end of the search.

“They have sustained these attacks since the beginning of the year and we had no issues with them before this time; so we still don’t understand why they are doing this.”

Lamenting the development, the lawmaker representing Agatu Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Godwin Edoh said the armed herdsmen had turned Agatu land into a killing field.

The lawmaker said, “They keep coming to kill my helpless people for no reason. I am frustrated as a representative of my people by their cries. I have forwarded all the gory pictures to the WhatsApp lines of both the Governor and his Deputy.”

Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent, SP, Catherine Anene said she was yet to receive any information from the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in charge of Agatu LGA.

Anene said: “Let’s wait for the DPO, I will confirm from him. As we speak there are so many police teams in Agatu who were deployed there.”