A Police officer and 22 others have been reportedly killed in a fresh armed herdsmen attack on Gbeji community and Police Station in Ukum Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue state.
SPY News gathered that the attack also left 12 natives including women with serious machete cuts in critical condition.
According to eyewitness account, the marauders sneaked into the community at about 3am on Wednesday through Tseke village, a border community located within Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba states.
Confirming the development, the Chairman of Ukum LGA, Mr. Kartyo Tyoumbur lamented that the attack was unprovoked.
He said “the attack was clearly unprovoked. And as of now 18 corpses have been recovered from the community and deposited in the mortuary. Also, 12 others were brutally macheted. They are receiving treatment in a public hospital at Afia; and among them were several women who were badly macheted.
“Among the dead is a police man who was on duty at the Police Station in Gbeji when the attack occurred. They attacked the Police Station as well. Though the attack was probably not to burn it, but the Police man who was on duty was shot dead.
“We are still searching the bushes for more corpses and survivors because the people attacked are predominantly farmers and those in the bushes are yet to be seen. I personally visited the scene with security personnel to ascertain the level of damage and the number of those killed.
“When we got there it was discovered that the attackers, who were Fulani militia were still around in the bushes. The security personnel with me advised that I moved aside with the many people that were with me as it was not safe”.
