From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
Not fewer than 18 people have been killed by gunmen suspected to be terrorist groups at Mbacher Council Ward, in Katsina Ala Local Government Area LGA, of Benue state.
Our correspondent gathered that the bandits attacked Mbacher ward on Friday night killing their victims, wounding two people and later kidnapped many others.
When contacted, the Special Adviser to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Security and Internal Affairs, Chief Joseph Har PSP, confirmed the incident but said he was yet to get details.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Katsina-Ala LGA, Hon Justine Shaku, has also confirmed the killing of the 18 persons, saying the attack was carried out by bandits.
Shaku said: “At about 11pm yesterday (Friday), July 19, 2024, we receive a distress call from the villagers that some group of terrorists mobilised themselves and were moving from house to house forcing people to follow them.
“I quickly mobilised the military officers that are in Tor Donga and being a remote area, before they could reach there, the people were killed. Some were wounded.
“Yesterday night I was told it was 17, but today 18 persons have been confirmed dead. All of them were assembled in one place and killed.
“This morning, I, the Assembly member and Adviser on Legislative Matters, held a meeting and we communicated the development to the Commissioner of Police.
“He was on his way coming. So we asked the villagers to wait let him joined us here in Katsina-Ala town before we could visit the scene.
“It is a gorilla war. They hit and run away.”
The chairman, while lamenting the killing of innocent persons in the state, noted that they were beginning to experience relative peace and calm in the month of July only to witness what happened yesterday.
“In the month of June, the security situation was very bad but this month we have not witnessed such attack. Even those they were ransacking their houses, the council ward in question they moved back to their homes and things appear to be calm before this attack.”
He also confirmed that some people were kidnapped including one Igbo man and his two children.
“In the recent days, apart from what happened yesterday we had pockets of kidnappings; kidnapping is also resurfacing in the area.
The chairman said the perpetrators were local terrorists. “I no longer call them bandits because I’m seeing the hands and elements of terrorism in their activities. So to me they are terrorists now. There are terrorists within, though they have external forces – those who are sponsoring and helping them to perpetrate the acts. But the locals are the major people that are doing it.”
He urged the people to remain calm as the government of Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia was committed in keeping the society safe from such acts.
He assured that very soon, insecurity would be a thing of the past. .