Gunmen Attack Benue Communities, Many Feared Dead 

At least 23 people have been reported killed in multiple attacks on some communities in four local government areas of Benue State between Friday and Saturday.

Our correspondent learnt that the four LGAs attacked were Logo, Kwande, Ukum, and Guma.

According to sources, eight farmers were killed in the early hours of Saturday at Jootar in Ukum LGA.

It was gathered that the farmers who had slept over at Jootar woke up early Saturday morning and were going to the farm when they were butchered.

Our correspondent also learnt that the area, which is a border community between Taraba and Benue states, had been enmeshed in a crisis between the Tiv and Jukun.

“So, we can not say who were responsible for the killing of the eight farmers this morning, whether they were armed herders or Jukun people,” a source from Jootar who craved anonymity told our correspondent Saturday evening.

On Friday, some communities in Ayilamo in Logo LGA of the state were attacked by suspected armed herders, and nine people were reportedly killed.

Also, three people were reported to have been killed in Kwande LGA and another three in Guma LGA by suspected armed herders, bringing the total to 23 in the four LGAS

The Commissioner of Information, Mathew Abo, who confirmed the killing only in Jootar, Ukum LGA, said that the farmers were matchete early hours of Saturday when going to farm.

Abo said, “The report I heard is that eight farmers were killed in Jootar early hours this morning (Saturday) when they were going to farm.

“We can not say for certain those responsible for the killing because the area where the farmers were killed is a border community between Tiv and Jukun people. And there had been crisis between the two ethnic groups.”

The commissioner could not confirm other killings in Guma, Logo, and Kwande as of the time of filing this report.

Efforts to confirm the development from the state command spokesperson, Catherine Anene, were not successful, as calls made to her cellphone were not responded to.

She also did not respond to text messages sent to her cellphone as of the time of filing this report.