Suspected armed herdsmen, on Tuesday, attacked Yelewata Market in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, killing eight persons.
The attackers reportedly Abducted a villager and left two persons injured.
Chairman of Guma local council, Mr. Caleb Abah who confirmed the attack while speaking with newsmen on phone, said the suspected herdsmen invaded the Yelewata Market at about 6 pm on Tuesday when traders were about to close.
“On that fateful day, the armed Fulani herdsmen stormed Yelewata Market and started shooting sporadically where the people were busy buying and selling their goods and equally conducting local bam(local contribution).
“In the process, the armed herders killed eight persons, injured two others, and abducted one person.
The whereabouts of the abducted person are still unknown while the injured persons have been evacuated to a private hospital in Makurdi and receiving treatment.
“Nobody can say this is the reason why these people (armed Fulani herdsmen) came to attack the market. It was an unprovoked attack”, Abah said.
Also, a resident of the area, Jonah Tersoo, said the attack claimed the lives of a woman and four others.
He said the residents have deserted the area for fear of further attack.
Meanwhile, authorities of the military operation in Benue State, code-named Operation Whirl Stroke OPWS, have confirmed the attack, saying six persons were killed and three others injured.
OPWS Force COMMANDER, Brigadier General Clement Apere, said already troops of the Operation had been deployed to the area and have repelled the attackers.
“We deployed our troops to Yelewata in Guma local government area and we have repelled the bandits, in fact, they even engaged our troops in a gunfight”, he said.
When contacted, the Benue State Command Police Public Relation, DSP Catherine Sewuse Anene, confirmed the incident, saying unknown gunmen at about 7:45 pm attacked the community.
Anene however stated that the gunmen had killed two persons they met in the first house they entered and the police were able to repel them.
“Six people were conveyed to the hospital and confirmed dead on arrival, while two were receiving treatment.
“We want to assure the people of the Yelewata community that we will continue to support them in providing security just like the one we did yesterday and if not for the police, it could have been worse than this”, Anene said.
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