Scores killed as bandits stormed nine Benue communities

Bandits have reportedly stormed about nine communities in the Apa Local Government Area of Benue State, killing and setting houses on fire.

It was reported that the communities have become emptied as residents who survived the attack fled for safety.

While some residents claimed the casualty figure is 25, Abu Umoru, the lawmaker representing the area in the state Assembly, said he had lost count of the casualties.

Umoru said about 95 per cent of communities in the local government have become desolate as a result of the constant attacks.

He said, “About 95 per cent of a section of my community is displaced, and I can mention them.

“The entire Edikpo community has been displaced, the entire Opaha, where I come from, nobody in is that community; Odugbo, nobody is there; Akpete, Ikobi, Akpata, Idiaha, Ochumekwu, Adiga, nobody is in those communities.

”Every day, they will be burning houses in Akpete. As I speak to you, for three consecutive days, they have been going to Akpete and burning houses after chasing them out of their ancestral homes.

“They have been laying ambush, killing people, one, two, three to five persons on a daily basis.

“Right now, I don’t know the number of casualties. It’s so many.”

He added, “I have gone to my communities to sympathise with my people and because of the killings I have developed a problem that I have to go to the hospital for a checkup.

“The killings are terrible. Even yesterday (Wednesday), on the highway around Nasarawa Toto leading to Oweto up to Otukpo, between a village called Ojantele and Orozo, Fulani put their cows on the road for three hours, no movement that the Hausa people who travel on these big trucks came down and were talking to them because they barricaded the road.

“These killings have gone beyond us. Our representatives at the National Assembly have moved motions times without numbers, but what has happened? Who do we cry to? We need to cry to God.

“It’s a pathetic situation. I don’t know what to do; I’m speechless. Sometimes I ask myself: ‘Why should I contest (for election)?’ I can’t go with my personal resources to go and do anything anywhere.

“If people are not happy or settled, how do you impact their lives? How many people can you feed? If they are in their villages, it’s very easy for you to reach them, but if they are not there, how can you take a solar system there?

“The other time, some people who were working in the higher institution, they ambushed them on the road, opened fire and killed two of them.”