18 Killed As Suspected Herders Storm Market In Benue

At least 10 were reportedly shot dead when gunmen suspected to be Fulani militia attacked a market in Benue State.

Reports reaching Naija News on Friday revealed that the gunmen invaded Ukohol and three other villages in the Guma Local Government Area of the state yesterday, killing 18 persons.

After killing ten at the market square, the assailants went further to kill eight other people from within the villages.

The gunmen, according to reports, stormed the communities in black attires, appearing before the marketers in a commando style, and began to shoot sporadically at innocent marketers.

The Chairman of the local government, Michael Uba, who confirmed this to newsmen in a telephone chat, said: “Around 4 to 5 pm, My people at Ukohol were attacked by armed herders and killed about 10 people. The worst of it all is that they even killed children below the age of two years.

“They didn’t stop at that point but went to three other villages/settlements around and killed another eight making it a total of 18; 10 at the market, eight in the villages when they were running back.”

While noting that the casualties would have been more, Uba said the security operatives were prompt in responding to their call, and that saved the day.

“If they delayed, the causality would have been more than that. It was a market day, they went there and started shooting.

“What is happening now is that they are trying to destabilise people from their village and settlements and occupy them and graze in the night.

“They appeared in black attires. No villages is spared, and the whole 10 council wards in Guma are affected,” Uba added.