No fewer than hundred persons were reportedly killed within three days in a sustained attack by gunmen suspected to be herdsmen in four council wards of Katsina Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.
The Chairman of Katsina – Ala Local Government area, Mr. Alfred Atera, said many people in the area were moving out of their communities over the attack by the herdsmen which has already claimed the lives of about one hundred persons.
He said four council wards are under attack by the Fulani marauders including Yoyo, Utange, Mbatyula/Mberev and Mbayongo council wards.
“About a hundred people have been killed by the Herdsmen if not more at different settlements. The attackers were killing and dropping their victims. We have not been able to recover many people”.
“I informed the military about the attack, but these people have developed a strategy, they are not attacking one place. If they attack Kwaghaondo village for instance they quickly moved to another place. Before the military could go there, they move to another place and continue with their offensive”.
The chairman said, he has reported the incident to security agencies and is holding meeting with traditional rulers and other stakeholders to see what we can do at their own level.
Debunking allegations that the military is compromising in their operations, Mr. Atera noted that it seems the aggrieved Gana Boys have join forces with the herdsmen to carry out the attack on people of the area.
“I’m suspecting the existing bandits here are Gana’s remnants that are conniving with herdsmen to cause the havoc and unrest in our area and trying to win a cheap popularity. They have connived to do that for government to consider their demands of handling over markets and sending soldiers away from here which we have refused”.
The chairman disclosed that it is better for the people of the community to die by Fulani killings than allowed our boys to kill us.
Efforts to get the Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), Brigadier -General Clement Apere proved abortive as he could not be reached even as the PPRO Benue command, DSP Sewuese Anene was also could not confirm the incident.