Gunmen in the early hours of Friday killed at least nine people in different villages of two local government areas of Benue State.
Our correspondent gathered that of the number, five were killed in TyoughAtee/Njaha Council ward, Shagbaor, Tse Tûgh village, Mbatyough, Saghev all in Gwer West LGA while the remaining four were allegedly killed at Imandeakpu village along Gbajimba-University road in Guma LGA.
It was learnt that several people sustained gunshot wounds in the communities which came under the attacks.
Villagers said the gunmen were suspected armed herders who besieged their communities in the dead of the night, fired gunshots sporadically and hacked some people to death with cutlasses.
They also told our correspondent by telephone that there was security intervention in Gwer West area which forced the gunmen to flee, thereby preventing more casualties.
The villagers however said security personnel rescued some of the wounded persons, including a pregnant woman and took them to a hospital in Naka, the headquarters of Gwer West LGA.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Catherine Anene, did not respond to the call or reply a text message sent to her.
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