Herders invade Makurdi suburb, sack residents

NO fewer than than 5,000 residents of Mbatoho community, a suburb of Makurdi, the Benue capital have been sacked by armed herdsmen.

The settlement is located on an island in Mballagh ward of the capital city.

An informant, John Tehemen, who led some members of the community to the Government House, Makurdi, said that the attackers invaded the community and forced over 5,000 to abandon their homes.

He said: “There are over 5,000 people in the community. Herdsmen, who were fully armed with sophisticated weapons, in early hours of today (yesterday) stormed our community and ordered everyone to leave. “They came in their numbers, burnt down our houses, barns and farmlands, though they did not harm anyone.”

The deputy governor, Benson Abounu who received the people, promised prompt intervention, stating that government was just receiving the information from the commun ity .

He added that he had ordered the Security Adviser, Paul Hemba, to liaise with the police and take a tour of the area.

His words: “The community just came to tell us about the attack. I have directed the security advis- er to report to police and find out the situation of thing. The village is right here (pointing to across the River Benue).

Asked if government was not worried that the herdsmen could use the place as a launch pad, Abounu said the next line of action would be taken after the fact-finding tour.

When contacted on phone, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, told our correspondent that he just got the report.