No fewer than fifteen persons have been killed by some unknown gunmen in a fresh attack on Ugboju community in Agatu local government area of Benue State.
Locals said many people were still missing after the invasion of the village on Wednesday evening by the assailants who had continued attacks on the area for two weeks.
A villager who craved anonymity said the bodies were recovered Thursday morning, adding that the people were helpless over the situation.
He stated that before noon, more bodies might be discovered as search parties continued to comb bushes for missing persons.
Prince Inalegwu Adakole Simon, who hails from the affected village, narrated that the attackers besieged the community around 3pm on Wednesday, January 31.
“It was around 3pm on Wednesday, those attackers came to my village and killed 15 persons. Some persons have been displaced from home. Before now, we had no issue with them (attackers),” Simon said.
The member representing Agatu constituency in the State House of Assembly, Godwin Edoh, also decried the killings which he said happened on Wednesday.
“I’m frustrated as a representative of my people by their cries. I have forwarded all the gory photos of the bodies recovered to the WhatsApp lines of both the governor and his deputy,” he said.
Spokeswoman of the police in Benue, Catherine Anene, said she was yet to receive information about the incident from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Agatu.
“Let’s wait for the DPO, I will confirm from him. As we speak, there are so many police teams deployed to Agatu,” Anene told DailyTrust.
