•Police recover 28 corpses •President Buhari condemns killings, calls for end to extreme violence in state •Gov Ortom urges president to smoke out bandits in state
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja and Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
Not fewer than 44 persons have been reportedly killed in Nyiev, Guma Local Government Area (LGA) by suspected herdsmen in yet another Benue attack, the state Police Command has confirmed.
Those killed included a pregnant woman and children under one year.
The Commissioner of Police in the state who confirmed the attack yesterday, through the command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Catherine Anene, said that 28 corpses have been recovered and deposited at the hospital morgue while investigation is ongoing.
Our reporter gathered that the attack happened in one of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps called Mgbam, close to Udei in Guma LGA.
Mgbam community is located at Daudu along Makurdi-Lafia road.
Locals from the area said that the incident took place around 9:00p.m – 10:00p.m on Friday.
“As we speak, 43 bodies have so far been recovered. Among those killed are a pregnant woman and children under one year.
“More than 10 injured persons have been taken to “Wan Tor u Ben” Clinic in Daudu.
“The IDPs attacked are camping at L G E A Primary School Mgban, in Nyiev council ward of Guma LGA. The school is located behind Chief Shawa Tyoor Nyiev’s, resident.
“The attackers came and their target was to kill. No house was torched. The herdsmen attacked around 9:00p.m to 10:00p.m. They were brutal in the attack,” he said.
As at the time of filing this report, officials of Benue State government were billed to visit the area to ascertain the level of damage.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned in strong terms the bout of killings in Benue State in which several people were killed in Umogidi community of Entekpa-Adoka in Otukpo Local Government Area of the state, ordering that all efforts should be made to end the “extreme violence.”
The president, in a statement by his Senior Special on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, condemned the use of terrorism as a tool in inter-communal conflicts, urging that the attackers be found and dealt with swiftly under the law.
He sympathised with the families of those who lost their lives due to the attack and directed the secret services, police and military commanders to enhance surveillance on every front and to immediately review the security management in the affected areas.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those murdered. The entire nation stands united in the fight against the forces of terror and evil,” he said.