From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen have killed three persons, including a community leader, and at Igbobi in Apa Local Government Area, (LGA), of Benue State.
The incident happened on Monday, 3rd March, 2023.
Locals from the area said that the suspected herders stormed the community shooting indiscriminately at the villagers and abducted a community leader whom they later killed.
The National Chairman of Ikobi Community Development, Akpoko Eche, told newsmen on phone p that the suspected herdsmen had been terrorizing the area since January this year.
Eche who is also a legal practitioner said, “There was an attack at Igbobi community which is adjacent to Ikobi, the community leader was adopted and killed along with two other persons.
“The attackers are suspected herdsmen, if you like call them bandits or unknown gunmen whatever they are but they are killers. In fact they started this way back on 17th of January this year, so it is a renewed attacks.
“It has been a routine, almost every year at this dry season they come back and attacked people, maimed and raped women and destroy their farm crops and houses.
” So it has been a routine all this while.But this year’s own is colossal because they have wiped out almost 20 villages if not more.
Reacting to the attack, the paramount ruler of Idoma nation, His Royal Majesty, John Elaigwu has raised an alarm of incessant killings of his subjects by suspected herders.
The Och’Idoma, in a statement signed by his media aide, Onuminya Odoba, said, “There have been a series of coordinated hostilities and violent attacks within the farming communities of Benue South, especially but not limited to Apa/Agatu corridor.
“The assailants are suspected herdsmen and cattle rearers who visit farms with hundreds of cows, destroying crops, and livelihoods, maiming, raping, and killing innocent citizens forcing many to leave their ancestral homestead.
“These recent attacks which have claimed not less than 75 lives and displaced thousands from their homes and businesses, unfortunately, brutally claimed the life of the Chief of Igbobi in Apa LGA yesterday, 3/4/2023”, the statement read in parts.
Meanwhile, the Secretary Miyeitti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, (MACBAN), in Benue state, Ibrahim Galma, has dissociated his members from the attack saying those carrying out the attacks on Apa LGA were not known to them.
Galma said, “We don’t have people (herdsmen) in Apa. We don’t know them, we don’t know their leaders and we don’t know where they come from.”
Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), in the state, SP Catherine Anene, was not successful as she was yet to reply to message sent to her for confirmation.
Our correspondent that the Apa attack is coming barely 24 hours after gunmen invaded a Church in Logo LGA area of the state and killed one person and abducted a pastor and other worshippers.