Armed assailants, suspected to be militia groups, descended upon Mbacher council ward in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, Benue State, in the early hours of Saturday. The attack resulted in the tragic deaths of eighteen individuals, the kidnapping of three more, and the destruction of millions of Naira worth of property.
According to a local source, the large group of attackers stormed the village and indiscriminately opened fire on residents. They inflicted further devastation before security forces could arrive, leaving two people injured and forcing many others to flee their homes in fear of further violence.
Justine Shaku, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Kastina-Ala LGA, confirmed the attack in a phone conversation with reporters. He revealed that:
"Intelligence reports had alerted soldiers to a potential attack on Mbache village, but the assailants struck too swiftly, leaving a trail of destruction before disappearing".
Mr. Shaku described the attackers as "terrorist bandits" and confirmed the deaths of eighteen people, with two others sustaining injuries. He recounted receiving reports of a group of armed individuals terrorizing the village, forcing residents from their homes. The death toll initially stood at seventeen but rose to eighteen upon further investigation. He chillingly described how the victims were rounded up and killed in a single location.
The Chairman further confirmed that kidnappings had been on the rise in the area, with several people abducted in the days leading up to the attack, including an Igbo man and his two children.
The Benue State Police Command has verified the attack. Spokesperson Sewuese Anene confirmed the incident via text message and stated that investigations are ongoing. He claims normalcy has returned to the area, although this may be difficult to verify in the wake of such a traumatic event.
Tags
News