Hoodlums set 23 houses ablaze in Benue

Hoodlums have reportedly burnt down 23 houses in Egwuma community of Agatu LGA in Benue State.

Residents said the incident which happened on Sunday, left some people with gunshot wounds.

Philip Ebenyakwu, the Chairman of Agatu LGC, also told journalists in Makurdi via phone that three people were injured by gunshots fired at them by the hoodlums suspected to be armed herders.

He said no life was lost but that the injured were receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.

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“Armed herders have consistently been invading Agatu West and they come from Kogi State. That area under attack shares boundary with Kogi State, so the area is always vulnerable to attacks.

“Yesterday, (Sunday) the armed herders attacked a community in the area, particularly Egwuma, where they burnt down 23 houses and took away three motorcycles.”

Ebenyakwu, however, commended security operatives deployed to his locality, saying that a naval officer on Saturday even confiscated a machine boat from invaders who normally come from Nasarawa State.

Meanwhile, the Police spokeswoman for the Benue command, SP Catherine Anene, had yet to respond to calls put to her phone for comment on the matter.