Armed herders invade Benue communities, kill four police officers, injure two farmers

No fewer than four Mobile Policemen were killed during an armed herders’ attack on Udei community in the Guma Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State on Sunday afternoon.

The Udei community is less than 15-minute drive from the Yelewata community, which was invaded over two weeks ago by armed bandits.

It was gathered that the marauders who launched the attacks at about 11 am also attempted to storm neighbouring Daudu but were repelled by a combined team of security agencies and the youths of the area.

They were said to have invaded the Asha community, where they shot sporadically, chasing people away from their farms, and it eventually escalated to Ortese, which is home to thousands of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs.

The source disclosed that the quick intervention of the military personnel stationed in the area, who engaged the marauders in the bush, halted their move into Ortese, and no resident was killed in the renewed attack.

Mr. Matthew Mnyan, a community leader in the area and former acting Chairman of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board, confirmed the development and said that “the attack started at about 11 am at Asha, which is very close to Ortese. They began pursuing people from their farms, and it escalated to Ortese.

“It got to the point that the soldiers there moved in with their armoured truck, and when it became intense, they moved in another armoured truck, and they engaged them for up to one hour in the bush.

And before you knew it, they started moving and shooting at Dudu, which is before Daudu.

“When I got the information, I immediately called the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), who took his men there to repel them.

“In what looked like a coordinated attack, they also attacked Udei at about 2 pm, and four Mobile Policemen were killed in the shootout.

“I was told that they are still around even now. They have reappeared at Ortese this evening. As we speak, people are in fear.

“When I called the Area Commander, he said he has mobilised to Udei and I learnt they went in their numbers, but it is getting dark and people are entertaining fear. Even the IDPs in Ortese are all in fear and calling that they need more security.”

This latest wave of attacks came about 16 days after a similar attack on the neighbouring Yelewata community claimed over 200 lives, with many hospitalised and many others displaced.

Efforts to get the reaction of Deputy Superintendent (DSP) Udeme Edet, the State Police Public Relations Officer, were unsuccessful. She did not pick up her calls, and also did not reply to her text messages.

In the same vein, two farmers, Nensha Adeor and Kator Gbenge, sustained serious injuries following an attack by suspected armed Fulani herdsmen in Adeor settlement, Ndzorov Council Ward, Guma Local Government Area of the State.

The attack occurred in the hometown of Samuel Ortom, the former governor of the State.

Sources said the incident happened when the victims attempted to stop the herders from allowing their cattle to graze on and destroy their farmland.

The herdsmen, reportedly armed with machetes, launched a violent assault, leaving both men with deep cuts.

According to medical personnel at the General Hospital in Gbajimba, the victims are in critical condition.