A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, identified as Akaabo Johnson and three other people were killed by gunmen suspected to be armed herders during an attack on the Mbatsada communities in the Mbalom and Mbasombo council ward in Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State.
The suspected armed herders, according to a source, invaded the communities around 4:35 pm on Tuesday in a commando way and shot indiscriminately, resulting in the death of four people.
Timothy Adi, the chairman of Gwer-East local government area, who confirmed the incident on Wednesday, said the attack was unprovoked.
Adi decried the activities of armed herders in the council, saying that the Tuesday attack was the second within the last two weeks.
He said that security men had been deployed to the area to secure the boundary lines of the local government area, in a bid to prevent further attacks, stressing, “four dead bodies among them an APC elder in the ward were recovered and the bodies taken to St. Gregory Hospital morgue.”;
He urged residents, particularly the youths, to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to relevant security agencies, saying that they must remain united and steadfast.
He thanked Governor Hyacinth Alia for his prompt intervention and timely support that had facilitated the rapid deployment of security forces to contain the situation.
The Benue Command spokesperson, Catherine Anene, could not be reached to confirm the development as her phone rang out.
