Another 7 killed in Benue church, school

Seven of the displaced people taking refuge in some rural churches and schools were yesterday killed by armed militia in Ukemberagya Gaambe-Tiev of Logo Local Government Area in Benue State.

The death toll of sustained attacked on remote communities of Benue State between Sunday and yesterday has hit 78, including the latest seven deceased.

A community leader in Logo, Chief Joseph Anawah, said seven corpses, among them men, women and children were recovered after the attack was carried out on three settlements of Mbamondo clan in Ukemberagya GaambeTiev district of the affected local government area.

Anawah alleged that the attackers were herders who invaded the churches and schools in the area where those displaced earlier from their homes were taking shelter at 12:22 am yesterday and started shooting at them.

He said many were wounded and others missing while several houses in the surroundings were torched, stressing that the total number of causalities would be determined later.

Similarly, the Chairman of Logo council, Richard Nyajo, confirmed that suspected herders invaded three villages in Mbamondo clan early hours of yesterday and attacked the displaced people who were asleep in the church and primary school buildings.

Nyajo said seven dead bodies were already recovered as search for missing people in the area continued as at yesterday afternoon after the attackers who began their deadly operation from Mondo settlement village had left.

The chairman said the government-designated camps in the area were overflowing with the influx of displaced people and that was why the people resorted to sleeping in churches and schools.

The state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni and his spokesman, Moses Yamu, were at press time yet to respond to their telephone calls and they were also not in the office.