Gunmen kill 4 villagers in Benue, vandalise monarch’s home

Gunmen, at the weekend, killed four people in Yelewata community of Guma Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State.

Daily Trust gathered that three of the deceased were killed by gunmen suspected to be armed herders.

The fourth was allegedly felled by a stray bullet of security agencies in a bid to contain the protest which broke out following the killings of the trio.

Chairman of Guma LGA, Caleb Aba, said the killing of the teenagers by suspected herders angered the youth of Yelewata so much that they barricaded the highway with the deceased corpses, making it difficult for motorists to ply the route.

Aba explained that the development led to the intervention of security agencies including the police, soldiers of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) and traditional rulers at the scene as they tried to calm the protesters to unblock the road.

He however noted that normalcy has returned to Yelewata community after the chaos and that the villagers are now going about their businesses.

When contacted, the police spokesperson, DSP Catherine Anene, did not respond to calls or text messages put through her telephone to confirm the incident.

In another incident, unknown persons at the weekend vandalised the home of a traditional ruler, Zaki Terhile Atser, in Gboko East axis of Gboko Local Government Area in Benue State.

The vandals torched the building, shattered vehicles, home appliances and other valuable property belonging to the monarch.

The spokesperson for the Benue Police command, DSP Anene, however, could not confirm the incident as she did not respond to calls and text messages sent through her telephone.