Suspected armed herders have killed nine people, including a police officer, in renewed attacks on several communities in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to some residents, the attacks began last Friday and continued until Tuesday.
One resident of Agatu, who identified himself simply as Odenyi, told our correspondent that the suspected attackers usually come from Kogi State, launch assaults on the villages, and retreat.
The affected communities include Okwutanobe, Okpokpolo, Olegagbani and Ikpele.
Odenyi said, “The attacks started last Friday at Okwutanobe where two people were killed. On Saturday, they attacked Okpokpolo and they killed one person.
“Yesterday, Monday, the armed herders invaded Olegagbani, where they killed one person.
“Today (Tuesday), the same armed herders attacked Ikpele, where they killed one police officer and four people.”
The incidents come barely two days after the Benue State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria raised concerns over the rustling of about 340 cattle in the month of July.
The association’s secretary, Ibrahim Galma, had accused criminals in Agatu LGA of stealing their livestock.
When contacted, the Chairman of Agatu LGA, James Melvin, confirmed that nine people, including a police officer, had been killed across the affected communities in the past three days.
The chairman said, “It’s true. 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.”
He added that he suspects the attacks may have been carried out in retaliation for the alleged rustling of cattle.
“We condemned these attacks, and I think it was a reprisal to 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 own hands,” Melvin said.
The council chairman praised the efforts of security operatives in the area but noted that the poor road network in Agatu posed a major challenge.
“You know the roads in Agatu are bad, even when the security men receive a distress call, it can take them up to four hours to navigate some areas due to the bad terrain, so the armed herders would wreak havoc and leave,” the council chairman said.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Benue State Command, Udeme Edet, said she had yet to receive any official information regarding the incident but noted that there were adequate police personnel in the council.
