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From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
At least 36 persons, including women and children, have been confirmed dead in an attack carried out on an IDP camp by suspected herdsmen in Nyiev council ward of Guma Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State.
The incident took place on Friday night.
Earlier on Saturday, the Benue State Police Command had recovered 28 corpses at the affected area and by evening, the death toll had risen to 36.
The herders were said to have razed several houses as well as set on fire barns of yam seedlings and other farm produce in the area.
The incident is coming barely two days after herdsmen killed 49 persons in two separate attacks, Tuesday and Wednesday, in Umuogidi community of Otukpo LGA of the state.
Earlier, locals from the Mgbam community said the attack took place at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp, Mgbam in Guma LGA along the Makurdi-Lafia road.
Lamenting the increase in herdsmen attacks on Benue communities, Governor Samuel Ortom who confirmed that 36 persons were killed in the Friday attack noted that a traditional leader, Tyoor u Nyiev, Chief Bernard Shawa, lost his two children in the attack.
The Governor who conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the damage caused by the herdsmen lamented that over 100 persons have been killed in the last one week.
He expressed fears that, the assaults if allowed to continue, the Benue people may be annihilated in a short time.
Ortom described the killings as unfortunate and condemnable explaining that the killings was one of the reasons the state government enacted the Anti-Open Grazing Law.
He called on the federal government to fish out the perpetrators,who he said are well known and punish them for their acts adding that “We (Benue people) are law-abiding and will not be provoked to take up arms against anyone.”
The Governor commended President Muhammadu Buhari for condoling with the people of Benue State and advised that President Buhari should go beyond that and do everything possible to smoke out the bandits from Benue.
He further advised that whoever assumes the mantle of leadership after him and decides to repeal the Anti-Open grazing law was welcome to do so, insisting that it would not happen under his watch.
He assured the people of the area that he will always stand by them and God will definitely help them and indeed the Benue people out of their predicament.
He said Benue State would hold an emergency Security Council meeting on Tuesday to find ways of ameliorating the current security challenges bedeviling the people of the state.
He observed a minute silence of prayer for the departed souls during the visit to the community and also condoled with families of the bereaved.
The chairman of Guma LGA, Mike Uba, appreciated the Governor for always identifying with them at all times regretting that despite all the governor has done to end the herdsmen attacks in the state, the killings has continued unabated.
Ubah, who is also the Chairman of Association of Local Government Chairmen (ALGON) in the state explained that many of the deaths recorded indicate that two or more members of particular families were killed by the herders; the sons of the Tyoor inclusive.
On his part, Tyoor u Nyiev, Chief Bernard Shawa, narrating the incident, said he was at home and was outside at about 10 pm when we had gun shots.
He explained that at first he was not sure it was an attack until the gunshots grew louder and eventually he saw billows of smoke arising from houses that were set ablaze by the herders.
Chief Shawa further narrated that the assailants entered the class rooms, housing the IDPs one after the other and shot their victims at close range. He said 36 of them died instantly while 39 were moved to the hospital for treatment.
