Tragedy in Agatu: Monarch, wife, son among five killed in night attack

Gunmen on Thursday night carried out a deadly attack in Olegabulu community, located in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, killing a traditional ruler, his wife, his son, and two other persons.

A resident of the community, who spoke to journalists on Friday on condition of anonymity, said the incident occurred around 8 p.m.
According to the source, four armed men arrived on two motorcycles and went straight to the residence of the traditional ruler, where they opened fire, killing him alongside two of his family members.
The source added that the attackers were not suspected to be Fulanis, noting that they greeted people in the local dialect upon arrival, which did not raise suspicion.
“The assailants were not Fulanis because, at the time they alighted from their motorcycles, they exchanged pleasantries with people around in our dialect.
“So, nobody envisaged they were enemies, but as soon as they entered the traditional ruler’s house and opened fire, everyone scampered for safety.
“The assailants operated for almost 20 minutes. After leaving the traditional ruler’s residence, they moved to the next house, where they killed two people and injured one person before fleeing,” the source said.
The Chairman of Agatu Local Government Area, Melvin Ejeh, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview on Friday. He stated that five people were killed, while one person sustained injuries. He also noted that police officers had visited the scene.
“It is true the incident happened. Five people were killed and one person injured during the attack,” he said.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, Udeme Edet, said she had not yet received an official report of the incident.
“I am yet to get the report, but I am still waiting for it,” she said. (Nigerian Tribune)