Herdsmen Kill 45 In Bloody Benue Attacks

A police spokesman and a legislator have revealed how suspected herdsmen in Benue state killed at least 45 villagers in a bloody raid at dawn on Sunday. 

Fulani Herdsmen

“I confirm that 45 people, including women and children, were killed this morning in an attack on Egba village… of Benue state by suspected herdsmen,” PM News

quotes

state police spokesman, Austin Ezeani, as telling AFP.

“Several others were injured in the gun and machete attack,” Austin added.
Meanwhile, a Benue state parliamentarian from the area, Audu Sule, gave a probable death toll of about 50 from the attack.


“Around 50 people were killed in Egba village in my constituency in an early morning attack. The gunmen came in large numbers, all armed with AK47 rifles,” he told AFP.
He also said women and children were among those killed.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Tribune reports that sources claim that at least 80 people were killed within three hours of the attacks starting as early as 5am on Sunday.

According to a local priest,“as early as 5.00 a.m. Egba people were woken up with wailing from all over the community, as the marauders had surrounded the whole community and forced themselves into their houses, killing people, mostly women and children, with machetes.

“Indeed, in the whole communities in the council area today (Sunday), no church open for service because of what happened. In fact, I lost five of my members in Egba community.”
The priest added that the attack was the worst in the last four years as the council had been witnessing a series of attacks from invading Fulani herdsmen.

Another resident of the community speaking on the phone said that many people were killed, adding that the whole community had been deserted at the time he was speaking.

The local, whose phone was being interrupted by a poor reception, said “as I am talking to you now, we are in the bush trying to escape the invading marauders,” adding that “all the neighbouring communities have been deserted for fear of attack.”

“Before I could escape from our village (Egba), it was a gory tale, as I saw no fewer than 40 bodies on the way.”

The PDP gubernatorial running mate, Honourable John Ngbede, who hails from the council area, told Nigerian Tribune that 60 people were killed, while people were still searching for more people whose location remained unknown.

Hundreds of people have been killed in attacks and reprisal attacks between farmers and ethnic Fulani herdsmen in the past few years in the state.

Herdsmen have been a menace to people living in the Northern states with Benue, Jos and Kano being the most attacked states. Just two  weeks ago, Fulani herdsmen reportedly stormed a gathering of mourners on Tuesday in Yangal village at Zango Kataf local government area of Kaduna state and killed eight people.


A week before that, herdsmen attacked Vaase communities in Ukum and Agatu local government area, killing ten people and rendering thousands h