About 27 persons have been killed and many others wounded last Sunday when herdsmen attacked Odugbeho village in Agatu local government area of Benue State.
The Chairman of Agatu Local Government Area, Mr. Suleiman Adoyi, who confirmed the attacks said the incident took place on a market day, at about 5:45 pm on Sunday.
According to him, the herdsmen had stormed an on going burial wake holding at Odugbeho and shot at sympathizers without any form of provocation and killed 27 people.
The Chairman who visited the community in company of security personnel said relative calm has returned to the area.
He said the whole village has been deserted while the displaced persons are currently taking refuge in Ogbaulu village, several kilometers from Odugheho.
Earlier, an indigene of the Village, Isaac Oche, told journalists that the suspected herdsmen invaded their village around 5:45pm where people were gathered at a wake keep and started shooting sporadically, killing anyone on sight.
He said the herders, after the shooting had disappeared around 6:40 pm into the bush.
He said the herdsmen who were believed to have come from Nasarawa State, passed through their neighbouring local government of Gwer West in a guerrilla style and took them unawares.
Oche said by Sunday night, about nine dead bodies were seen on the roadside but they couldn’t evacuate them for fear of further attacks
“By that night, we could not stay any longer to recover all the dead bodies because it was dark and no security, we had to leave believing that more bodies will be recovered when the day breaks and when security agents are around”.
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Also speaking, Iyu Goche said he was one of the youths that searched and recovered the corpses, adding that the attack was very condemnable.
Meanwhile, the Benue State Police Command has confirmed the attack.
The Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), DSP Catherine Anene in a telephone message said “Agatu attack is confirmed and the commissioner of police has deployed more police officers to manage the incident and forestall further breakdown of law and order.
“Number of victims is yet to be ascertained as officers are still engaged in stabilizing the area,” Anene said.
