…the Benue communities attackers arrived with a large herd of cattle before suddenly opening fire on residents.
BENUE, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | Seven people have lost their lives in two separate attacks in Benue State.
In the first incident, suspected armed herdsmen reportedly killed five residents in Entekpa community, Adoka, in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue state. In a separate attack on Monday night, gunmen ambushed a commercial bus along the Utonkon axis, killing two passengers and abducting 14 others.
According to a source in Adoka, several villagers sustained gunshot injuries during the assault, while many others remain missing. The source said the attackers arrived with a large herd of cattle before suddenly opening fire on residents.
“They came with many cows and no one confronted them. Suddenly, they began shooting innocent people and setting houses ablaze,” the source said, adding that the death toll could have been higher if residents had not fled swiftly.
The Ward Head of Entekpa, Oliver Inalegwu, confirmed the attack, stating that five people were killed by herdsmen on Monday. He described the scene as devastating.
“The village is deserted. When we visited with the Council Chairman yesterday morning, there was blood everywhere. It is shocking,” he said.
Otukpo Local Government Chairman, Maxwell Ogiri, who also visited the community, said the attack appeared to have been carefully planned. He explained that while cattle approached from one direction as a decoy, the attackers advanced from another direction and positioned themselves strategically in trees before launching the assault.
“Five people were killed instantly, while others suffered gunshot wounds and have been taken to various hospitals,” Ogiri said, noting that the violence began after a house was set on fire, followed by indiscriminate shooting.
He assured residents that security operatives, including the military, had been deployed to restore order. “As I was leaving, troops were moving in large numbers, and we mobilised local civil protection guards,” he said.
Ogiri lamented the vulnerability of the community, pointing out that locals possess only hunting guns for self-defence. He added that the attack has triggered a humanitarian crisis, with displaced residents seeking refuge with relatives in neighbouring communities rather than formal IDP camps.
He further disclosed that the Deputy Governor had pledged relief materials for those displaced, while additional police personnel were being deployed to strengthen security.
Efforts to get a response from the spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, the highway attack occurred less than 24 hours after nine worshippers were abducted during a night vigil at St. John’s Catholic Church, Ojije, also in Utonkon.
The commercial bus, carrying 16 passengers from Oju and Obi Local Government Areas to Benue state to the South-West, was intercepted around 7 p.m. along the Utonkon–Ojapo/Okpoga Road.
A youth leader in Utonkon, who spoke anonymously, said the passengers had left Iheijwo Market in Oju earlier that evening before encountering the assailants.
“They departed Iheijwo Market around 7 p.m., hopeful about their journey, but ran into kidnappers along the Utonkon road,” he said.
According to him, the attackers ordered the driver to stop. When he attempted to drive past them, they opened fire, killing two passengers instantly. The remaining occupants were forced out of the vehicle and marched into the bush.
The gunmen reportedly seized the victims’ mobile phones to prevent them from alerting relatives or security agencies. Although all 14 surviving passengers were initially taken into the forest, two later regained their freedom under unclear circumstances.
As of press time, the abandoned bus had been moved to the Utonkon Police Station, while the whereabouts of the remaining 12 abducted passengers were still unknown.
Confirming the incident, Oju Local Government Chairman, Jackson Onmiyi, said the attack occurred near the boundary between Ado and Okpokwu councils.
“Two victims were rescued alive, but unfortunately, two others were killed. Security operatives are conducting search operations to secure the release of the remaining twelve persons,” he said.
He commended the Chairman of Okpokwu council for his swift response, noting that his intervention aided the rescue of the two survivors.
“We are working closely with security agencies to ensure the safe return of those still in captivity,” Onmiyi assured.
