Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Less than 48 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari visited Benue State, suspected Fulani herdsmen again struck and killed two brothers, Aondowase Guma and Ahanbee Guma in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
Daily Sun gathered that the victims were returning from Yelwata market on a motorcycle around 8:00pm when they ran into an ambush of the herdsmen.
It was further gathered that after the brothers had been killed, their motorcycle were also burnt.
Another local, Orihyev Nyaga, who also ran into the ambush and was shot but miraculously survived, said he when he saw a road block in the area, he had thought it was mounted by security operatives to check criminal activities in the area but that the road block was actually mounted by herdsmen.
Nyaga, who was shot on the left hand, said as soon as he got to the road block and realised that they were herdsmen, they attempted to machete him, but he quickly abandoned his motorcycle and escaped into the bush with the bullet wound.
He said the number of casualties would have been more had he not managed to find his way through the bush path back to the market to raise the alarm and alert other locals who were still in the market. The two dead victims had already passed before he was able to raise the alarm.
Sources from the area disclosed that the remains of the two brothers were recovered by youths and handed over to the Police station at Yelwata after which they were later deposited at an undisclosed mortuary in the area.
When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Moses Yamu, who confirmed the attack, however, said he was yet to ascertain the number of casualties at the time of filing this report.
“Yes, I can confirm to you that there was an attack in that area last night but I’m yet to get the full details as per number of casualties. I’ll let you have it as soon as I get it,” Yamu said.