Again, herders attack Benue communities, kill policeman, 8 others

• The affected communities are Okwutanobe, Okpokpolo, Olegagbani, and Ikpele, all along the border with Kogi State.

In Benue, at least nine persons have been killed in a fresh attack by suspected herders terrorising the Middle Belt State.

A policeman was among those killed in the latest attack on four communities in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State.

The affected communities are Okwutanobe, Okpokpolo, Olegagbani, and Ikpele, all along the border with Kogi State.

A source familiar with the incident said the attack lasted for four days, from Saturday to Tuesday.

“The attacks started last Friday at Okwutanobe, where two people were killed, on Saturday, they attacked Okpokpolo and killed one person.

“Yesterday, Monday, the armed herders invaded Olegagbani, where they killed one person; today, the same armed herders attacked Ikpele, where they killed one police officer and four people. As we speak, people are fleeing their homes,” The source told ChannelsTV

The Chairman of Agatu LGA, Melvin Ejeh, who confirmed the three-day attacks, said it may not be unconnected to the herders reported case of cattle rustling.

Ejeh said, “I can confirm to you that four people were killed in Okwitanobe, Okpokpolo, and Olegugbani while five people, including a police officer, were killed in Ikpele today.”

“We totally condemned these attacks, and I think it was a reprisal for their earlier report of cattle rustling in Agatu communities. We are appealing to them to give the government time to investigate the alleged rustling instead of taking the law into their hands,” he said.

The chairman, who lauded security operatives in the council for their response to contain the attacks, however, noted that the terrain, which is unmotorable, poses a serious challenge to the security operatives in the discharge of their duties.

He said, “You know the roads in Agatu are bad, even when the security men receive distress calls, it can take them up to four hours to navigate some areas due to the bad terrain. By then, the armed herders would have wreaked havoc and left.”