34 killed in Benue villages

Thirty-four people have been killed in fresh attacks in Benue State. The latest killings happened barely a day after two Catholic priests and 17 others were killed in a remote village church attack at Gwer East axis of the state.

Daily Trust gathered that the fresh attacks were carried out in Tse Ali Agudu community of Mbawar council ward and Tse Mbadwem in Mbakpaase council ward, both in Guma LGA between Tuesday night and early hours of yesterday.

A native of the area, Cletus Keve, told our correspondent that gunmen in military fatigue suspected to be armed militia attacked the Tse Ali Agudu village about 4:00am and killed many people.

Keve said 19 dead bodies had already been recovered while those badly injured were taken to hospitals in Makurdi.

A governorship aspirant, Dr. Tivlumun Nyitse who hails from the area, told newsmen in Makurdi that 15 corpses had been recovered from the bushes in the attack on communities in Mbadwen council wards of Guma.

Nyitse said in some of the villages affected like his, nobody was killed but houses as well as foodstuffs were burnt in the invasion by the armed militia about 11:30pm on Tuesday.

Our correspondent gathered that the attacked communities included Tse Umenger in Mbadwem council ward, Mbakpaase in Saghev and Tse Ali Agudu in Mbawar council ward of Guma LGA with a total of 34 dead bodies recovered so far.

Locals said the deceased were among those who volunteered to return to their villages from the displaced people’s camp where they had been taking refuge since the New Year’s sacking of the area.

The state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said by press time that he was yet to get details of what happened.