Over 42 persons, including a policeman, have been reportedly killed in the latest attack on communities in Gwer Westocal Government Area of Benue State.
Seven persons were said badly injured, while two others were kidnapped.
A frustrated local government chairman, Mr. Victor Ormin, has threatened to vacate his seat because he can not continue to preside there while soldiers look on helplessly awaiting orders to engage terrorists and bandits.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, confirmed the killings in a statement, adding that a police officer was also killed in the attack.
Her words, “Note also that a police man died defending one of the villages just a few hours before this incident in Gwer-West Local Government Area.”
Most residents have fled communities in the area as the attacks have become a daily occurrence.
A local source said over 20 persons were killed in Aondona community, seven in Ahume, five in Tyolaha and another six in Orbiam community.
The armed Fulani herders first attacked Aondona town on Sunday at about 4pm and continued on Monday at Ahume, Orbiam and Tyolaha.
”I can categorically confirm to you that 20 persons were killed in Aondona, five in Tyolaha, seven killed in Ahume and 6 others were killed in Orbiam at the Military Base which is just three Kilometers away from Naka town, while seven people were injured with two others kidnapped.
”The local government council in collaboration with stakeholders in Nagi set up a search and rescue operation team. So far, the search and rescue team has recovered six corpses this morning (Monday), while the injured ones have been evacuated to general hospital Naka for medical attention.
”As I speak with you, our people have fled all the communities in the affected areas. The whole communities have been deserted and taken over by herders. We can no longer go to farms, children have stopped going to school, while markets and churches have been shutdown due to the activities of these Fulani terrorists occupying communities. Government must do something, they must act fast to stop these incessant killings in Benue State particularly in Gwer-West”, the source said.
The Chairman of Gwer-West Local Government Council, Mr. Victor Ormin, said over 30 dead bodies had been recovered between Sunday and Monday.
Said he: ”Only yesterday, I buried five people, fathers of children and when I confronted the military to engage the killers of my people, they told me that they are waiting for a directive from higher authorities.
“So, until my people are all killed before the federal government would give directives to military personnel before engaging these people.
“They are claiming that they don’t have the mandate to engage these people, that it is only the federal government that can give them the mandate to engage these people. So, my people should be killed, dead all before the federal government would talk about it; what is the meaning of this?
“Yesterday I buried a father and two of his children over 40 to 50 years of age in Tse- Orbiam, very close to a military base. What is the meaning of this? Now we are talking about 40 or more people. This is genocide.
“If they cannot help me, maybe I will leave this chairman seat and let it continue the way it is. I don’t care about being a chairman of a people that are all killed. Look at a child of two years old butchered with cutlasses.
“More than 20 people were killed in Aondona village. This is a village of the former First Lady of this state, Eunice Ortom. This is the village of Tor Gwer, this is the village of Bishop of Makurdi Catholic diocese Bishop Anagbe. This is talking too much… and I can tell you, whatever will happen, will happen.
“We are not saying that the military is incompetent, the soldiers are waiting for the orders and the mandate to do what they have to do which have not been given.
“A Mobile police man, identified as Magaji, was killed yesterday. He has dedicated his whole life to service, he is always at that junction along Naka road whether he has bullets or not. Yesterday when they came, they said he finished his ammunition and was shouting for people to leave and Magaji was killed yesterday. This is genocide.”
