Gunmen kill 27 in Benue community

The attack was carried out Sunday around 6 pm.

Daily Trust gathered that the dead bodies of villagers totalling 27  have been recovered so far from the attack.

The villagers narrated to our correspondent on the telephone that the gunmen, whom they described as armed herders, invaded the community at dusk and began to shoot sporadically.

A witness, simply identified as, Onehi,  claimed 11 corpses including that of a fresh graduate were recovered the same night, while the remaining were found in the bush early hours of Monday.

Sule Audu, a former lawmaker representing Agatu constituency at the State House of Assembly, said he got a report early hours of Monday that 24 corpses were recovered and that the search for more bodies was ongoing.

The Agatu Council Chairman, Adoyi Sule, confirmed to our correspondent on the telephone that a total of 27 people were killed in the affected rural community.

Sule explained that the gunmen suspected to be armed herders took advantage of the community’s market day and a burial ceremony in the village to unleash the terror on the people.

The chairman, who visited the area, said his team was conducted around the recovered bodies, some of whom were already buried in fresh graves.

He added that most of the villagers have fled to take refuge in the neighbouring communities including Ogbaaulu village.

But the spokesperson of the Benue Police command, DSP Catherine Anene, did not respond to calls or text messages put through her telephone.