Gunmen Unleash Terror in Benue, Scores Feared Dead
Dozens of residents were reportedly killed when gunmen launched deadly attacks on communities in Gwer West and Apa Local Government Areas of Benue State on Sunday evening.
According to multiple reports, at least 43 people lost their lives in the coordinated assaults. The police in Benue have not released an official statement regarding the incidents.
Timothy Kume, Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), confirmed the attacks to Punch, noting that the death toll was still being verified.
“It’s not that I don’t have the figure, but the one I have is old; as you know, the attack is happening nearly every day,” the newspaper quoted Kume as saying.
“For instance, the Sunday attack on Naka, headquarters of Gwer West LG, affected one pastor; he was killed in the attack.”
Eyewitnesses say the gunmen, suspected to be criminal herders, stormed Tse Antswam, a suburb of Naka town, around 7 p.m., shooting indiscriminately and leaving many dead.
In a separate incident, the same evening, another group of armed men reportedly attacked Edikwu Ankpali community in Apa LGA, resulting in even more fatalities.
Amnesty International, in a statement on Monday, said about 85 people had been killed in Benue within a week, describing the situation as a humanitarian crisis.
“Bloodshed in Benue: 85 killed in a week. In barely a week, at least 85 people have been killed in Benue State. Last week, gunmen killed 42 people during gruesome attacks on villages of Gwer West LGA,” the rights group stated.
