Over 100 persons have been reportedly killed in a coordinated attack by gunmen across four council wards of Katsina-Ala Local Government Area in Benue State between Saturday and Sunday.
According to information available to Africa Today News, New York, it was gathered that the gunmen were suspected to be armed herdsmen who were working in connivance with loyalists of the slain Benue militia warlord, Terwase Akwaza, alias Gana, to unleash terror and mayhem on the people.
Sources disclosed yesterday that many communities had been burnt down while people in the affected areas have continued to run helter-skelter for safety.
The Chairman of Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, Alfred Atera, when contacted by newsmen confirmed the attack and the casualty figure, adding that four council wards were affected by the attack.
Atera listed the affected council wards to include Yoyo, Utange, Mbatyumberev, and Mbayongo.
‘Four council wards are under attack by the Fulani; they are Yoyo, Utange, Mbatuamberev, and Mbayongo. More than 100 people at different places have been killed since the attack on Saturday.’
Aterw also alleged that the attackers suspected to be Fulani herdsmen were operating in a guerilla manner in connivance with gang members of slain Gana.
‘The Gana remnants are conniving with them (suspected herdsmen) to cause havoc and unrest in our area. They (bandits and herders) are killing and dropping the corpses and move on (to attack other places). Some (families) were able to claim the corpses of their relatives for burial.’
While suggesting that security agencies may have been overwhelmed by the coordinated attacks, Atera said the attackers have now developed a strategy such that they are attacking many places at the same time.
‘If they attack in Kwaghaondo now, the next thing you hear is they were attacking Yoyo and at the same time they were attacking Utange. So, the military are just moving here and there because if they get information of the people attacking a place, before they get there, the attackers have finished and moved to another point. That is the situation in /Katsina-Ala right now.’ he added.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK