Gunmen kill 3 in Benue attack

The police in Benue State yesterday said three people were killed by unidentified gunmen in Anyin community of Logo LGA of the state. The Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said at a news conference in Makurdi that the seven people were attacked in two different incidents by the same gunmen.

Owoseni said of the seven victims, three went to fetch water from the Tsokwa stream on Thursday at about 7:30pm when they suddenly heard gunshots as the criminal elements pounced on them, adding that the sound alerted the police special squad in the area to the direction where they found all the three on the ground, wounded.

Owoseni noted that the gunmen further attacked four men riding on motorcycles, shot at them, snatched their bikes and killed two on the spot while another later died in hospital, bringing the number of those killed to three.

The commissioner said the police pursued the attackers, recovered one of the motorcycles and an empty shell of ammunition even as they immediately launched search for the assailants.

According to him, one of the victims, Abraham Tere, was brought to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) where he is currently recuperating.

“We have strengthened our presence in the area to give confidence to the people there and as we speak our DIG Operations has also gone on air surveillance in the areas to detect the routes through which the attackers came,” Owoseni said.

The commissioner assured people of Gwer West LGA and Makurdi metropolis around Adeke, Adaka and Naka roads among others not to panic, saying the police had established strong presence in the areas following rumours of attacks which led many residents to flee since Thursday night.

He added that aside the 105 suspects arraigned over recent disturbances in Makurdi, there were 11 cases in court as a result of what took place in Guma LGA while 32 other suspects were undergoing trial for violating the state’s antigrazing law.