At least forty-six persons, including the thirty-three-year-old son of Otukpo Local Government Area Chairman Bako Eje, have reportedly been killed by suspected herdsmen who invaded Umogidi village of Entekpa-Adoka district in Otukpo Local Government Council in Benue State.
Africa Today News, New York reports that this murder is coming barely 24 hours after the same village, an Idoma-speaking community suffered an attack by suspected herdsmen with three persons killed.
An eyewitness from the affected village Joseph Adakole says the people of the community were burying the three persons earlier killed when the attackers suddenly came back with more firepower to massacre scores of mourners.
He explained that the suspected herdsmen attacked the village around 4 pm on Wednesday and started shooting at the mourners from all corners.
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One of those who lost loved ones and the Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Council Eje, whose son was also killed in the attack told Channels Television that the armed herdsmen surrounded the village again on Wednesday evening and opened gunfire on the inhabitants.
Eje, who hails from the Umogidi community, confirmed that forty-six corpses had already been recovered while many people are still missing.
‘The armed herdsmen after attacking our community in the morning (Wednesday) came back to the village at about 4:15 pm and killed 46 persons including my own son who was about 33 years old,” he said.
‘We just buried the corpse and several other persons are still missing; we do not know their whereabouts but I am still in the village. They also killed the husband of my immediate younger sister and her son of almost 38 years.’
Special Adviser to the Benue Governor on Security Matters, Lt. Col. Paul Hemba, also confirmed the attack.
‘I can confirm to you that there was an attack in Umogidi and as of this morning (Thursday), the causality figure from those who were seen physically from what I was told was 46. But the figure may rise higher because some people are still reported missing.
‘Police have been deployed and soldiers sent there to assist. The situation is now calm. The local government chairman is from that community and unfortunately, he too lost his 33-year-old son. It’s a very tragic and painful incident,” he added.
State Secretary of Myetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) Ibrahim Galma denied knowing those perpetrating the attacks on the villagers.
‘Truly, the herders’ who are there are not cooperating with us. We don’t even know where they are coming from. Instead of us to use the leadership of those who are coming from Nasarawa along those Doma and riverine areas, everybody claimed they don’t know those herders. I can’t identify where they are coming from and it would be too difficult for me to say something I don’t know anything about.
‘The people we can’t identify, we have no control over them. Security is responsible to make surveillance to identify those people who are there and what is happening there. Since February, we have been hearing about things around Adoka, Apa, and the Agatu side but we can’t identify where they are coming from. It’s very difficult for us to call them to order because we don’t know who they are,’ Galma added.
Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for Benue Command Catherine Anene also spoke about the attack on the community.