Suspected Herdsmen Kill Mother, Son, Two Others in Benue; Two Still Missing

From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi

Gunmen suspected to be armed herdsmen have killed a woman, her son, and two others in Agatu Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State.

The attack, which occurred on Wednesday morning, took place in Egwuma and Ogbai communities of Agatu.

A local from Egwuma, who gave his name as Inalegwu, told newsmen by phone that the armed herders invaded the communities and launched an unprovoked assault on villagers.

“Some herdsmen attacked Egwuma and Ogbai communities today. They killed a woman and her son who were working on their farm and also took the lives of two others in Ogbai. As I speak, two people are still missing and we are searching for them,” he said.

Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Agatu LGA, Melvin James, condemned the attack, describing it as both “senseless and barbaric.”

“This is an unprovoked attack on our people. How could anyone murder a mother and her son who were simply working on their farm? The incident happened today (Wednesday) in Egwuma, while two other victims were killed in Ogbai community,” the chairman lamented.

James, however, commended the efforts of security personnel deployed to the area, noting that the attack occurred while they were patrolling other villages.

“The security operatives in Agatu have been doing their best to beef up security, but our challenge remains the bad roads. At the time of the attack, the officers were on surveillance in other areas,” he added.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Benue State Command, DSP Udeme Edet, said she had not yet received a formal report on the incident.

“As you can hear voices in the background, we are currently on tour, and I have not received the report yet. I will provide details later,” she said.

Similarly, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security and Internal Affairs, Chief Joseph Har, disclosed that he too had not yet received an official briefing on the incident.