From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi.

SEVERAL persons were last Friday night killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen at Agwabi in Binev Coun­cil Ward of Buruku Local Government area of Benue State.

Although, the state Po­lice Command confirmed that the rampaging herders killed only five persons, sources from the area in­sisted the number was more than that.

One of the fleeing villag­ers from the affected com­munity, who simply gave his name as Aondoaver, said the armed Fulani in­vaders stormed the village around 8pm that fateful day and started shooting spo­radically, killing everything human in sight.

Asked if there was any problem between the Fu­lani herdmen and the vil­lagers in the area before the invasion, he said there was no rancour to his knowl­edge that could warrant the deadly attack on the inno­cent people.

It would recalled that armed herdsmen had on March 5, this year, invaded Agatu LGA, Benue State where they reportedly killed over 500 people and razed buildings in the com­munity. The dastardly act had drawn condemnation from across the country and overseas by people who were shocked by the gory sight of scores of dead bod­ies.

Former president of the Senate, Senator David Mark, during his visit to Agatu, had described what happened as genocide.

When contacted, fol­lowing the latest attack by herdsmen, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Moses Yamu while confirming that five persons were killed in the attack, explained that two persons died on the spot while three others died at the hospital.

Yamu who noted that the suspected Fulani herd­ers struck the village in a guerrilla manner and dis­appeared thereafter, how­ever, noted that the Area Commander had immedi­ately deployed police patrol teams to the area to main­tain surveillance.