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Suspected Fulani herdsmen, late Saturday and early Sunday, launched simultaneous attacks on some communities in Ado Local Government Area of Benue State, leaving 12 persons dead with thousands of persons displaced.
Dozens of residents of the communities are said to missing while several houses and food items were also reportedly destroyed.
Some of the communities attacked included, Tologa, Ndi-Obasi, Odoken in Ekile council ward of Ijigban district of Ado Local Government Area.
Our correspondent gathered that the development had made people in Obakoto, Odirewu, Offianka, Nwedoga communities in Ijigban council ward to flee their homes for fear of invasion by the armed herders.
According to an indigene of Ekile ward, Andrew Ugbala, the attackers invaded Ekile ward at about 11pm on Saturday and continued with the attacks on affected communities until early hours of Sunday, killing and maiming as they destroyed several houses.
“It was around 11pm on Saturday that we received call from our people that attackers suspected to be Fulani herdsmen have invaded our ward. Then, this early morning (Sunday) at about 1am, we received another call that the attackers are still carrying on with their attacks thereby killing people and setting our houses on fire. but thank God the local government council chairman, James Oche had mobilized troops of the operation whirl stroke to the affected areas to avert further attack”, Ugbala said.
Chairman of Ado Local Government council, James Oche, confirmed attack on five communities in Ekile council ward, during which he said 12 persons were killed.
He explained that the attackers came on reprisal after suspected IPOB members crossed over from Ebonyi State to Benue State and killed one elderly Fulani man identified as Muhammad Isah who lived with his 23 children in one of the communities that was presently under attack.
“I suspect that the herders came on reprisal attack because of one elderly Fulani man known as Isah Muhammad who lived in one of the affected communities that shared boundary with Ohakwu local government area of Ebonyi State and was recently killed by IPOB members who crossed over to the community in Ado. The IPOB members killed the Fulani man in anger that their people were being killed in the north.
“We have had peace with them and it was established that Ado people were not responsible for the death of that man. The deputy governor of Benue State is aware of the situation and Benue State government agreed to sponsor one of the deceased children in school. I wonder why this unwarranted and unprovoked attack on innocent people of Ado.
“I have been in touch with all relevant authorities, who have instructed the Operation Whirl Stroke to go to the affected communities. From the deputy governor, the senator , the House of Reps , the House of Assembly , the special adviser to his Excellency, have all been working to ensure that the situation is brought under control.
“We have set up situation report room in Igumale, as I talk to you the Ado operation whirl stroke are going round the affected to communities with the intend to repel the attackers.
Effort to speak to the Benue State Command Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Catherine Anene could not yeild result as she did not pick her call.
But a military source who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity said the situation in Ado did not claim any live. “It is true that some gunmen attacked some communities in Ado but nobody died”
However, Force Commander of Operations Whirl Stroke (OPWS), Brig. Gen. Clement Apere could not be reached on phone at the time of this report.
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