- Advertisement -
No fewer than four persons, including three teenagers and an adult were reportedly killed after suspected Fulani herdsmen, on Saturday, launched an attack on Yelwata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
Our correspondent gathered that the teenagers, all male, were working at a farm when the armed men stormed the area and killed the three brothers before disappearing into thin air.
Angered by the act, youths in the area barricaded the Makurdi-Lafia highway for several hours after recovering bodies of the victims at the scene of crime.
Efforts by the military, police and other security agencies to get the youths off the road were unsuccessful, a situation that caused heavy traffic gridlock on the major highway.
Confirming the incident, chairman of Guma Local Government council, Mr. Caleb Abah, said another victim died of a stray bullet fired into the crowd by a security agent.
“Sadly, in an attempt to disperse the angry youths who were resisting, there was a shot by the security agencies and unfortunately, one of the protesters was hit by a bullet and killed. As we speak right now, calm has been restored to the area and we are already making arrangements for the dead to be buried,” the council boss said.
He commended the efforts of the state governor, Samuel Ortom, who he said, swiftly mobilized some government functionaries to the troubled area to calm frayed nerves which resulted in a quick resolution of the matter.
However, the Police Public Relations Officer PPRO, DSP Catherine Anene could not be reached at the time of this report as she did not pick nor return calls put to her phone number at the time of this report.
Also, the force commander, Operation Whirl Stroke, Brigadier General Clement Apere, could not also be reach.
- Advertisement -
