By Uche Nnorom, Makurdi
At least three persons have been killed, several others injured, and some reportedly abducted following separate attacks by suspected armed herders in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.
The attacks, which occurred around 5 p.m. on Friday, were reported in Ukpamaju community and at a police checkpoint in Ojano along the Otukpo-Enugu Road, causing panic among residents.
A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the first attack occurred at Ukpamaju community, where two men working on a farm were killed by the assailants.
According to the source, one of the victims had travelled from Gboko to operate a tractor hired for farming activities in the area when the attackers struck.
“It was two different incidents. The first one happened at Ukpamaju community in Otukpo Local Government Area on Friday evening,” the source said.
“The victims, two males, were on the farm. One of them came from Gboko to work for the man who hired him, and both of them were killed. The attackers were armed herders. Luckily, one boy escaped from the farm. The survivor was with us when we deposited the recovered bodies at the mortuary.”
The deceased were identified as Friday Omoha from Ogbadibo Local Government Area and Francis Liambee from Guma Local Government Area, who reportedly operated the tractor.
Their bodies were later deposited at the University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital mortuary in Otukpo.
Barely an hour after the Ukpamaju incident, another attack was reported at Ojano along the Enugu Road, where suspected armed herders allegedly ambushed a police checkpoint.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers emerged from the bush and opened fire on the checkpoint, killing a young man who usually assisted police officers in moving barricades used for vehicle checks.
“The young man was shot dead instantly while the policemen on duty fled for their lives,” the source added.
The attackers also reportedly opened fire on a commercial bus belonging to a mass transit company marked TMT, injuring some passengers and abducting others, although the exact number of abducted persons could not be immediately confirmed.
“Luckily, some of the passengers escaped and ran back towards Otukpo, while those injured were taken to the hospital,” the source said.
The damaged vehicle was later moved to the Otukpo Police Station, while the corpse of the deceased was deposited at the mortuary.
Confirming the incidents, Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, said security operatives responded swiftly after receiving distress calls from the affected communities.
According to him, “Yesterday evening at about 5 p.m., we received a distress call from Ukpamaju village in Otukpo about a herders’ attack.
“We rushed to the already deserted village with the police and trailed the attackers to a farm where we discovered that two men who were tilling the land with a tractor had been killed.
“One of the survivors told us that the attackers were about 15 in number and were armed with AK-47 rifles.”
Ogiri further disclosed that while officials were returning from the mortuary around 10 p.m., another distress call was received concerning an attack along the Ojano axis of the Enugu Road.
“While we were eating after leaving the mortuary, another distress call came from Ojano that the highway had been blocked by attackers.
“We mobilised with Operation Whirl Stroke personnel to the scene and engaged the attackers in a gun duel. They attacked a TMT mass transit vehicle and some other vehicles.
“We rescued three passengers and took them to the hospital, but unfortunately one of them died,” he said.
The council chairman said preliminary findings suggested that the same group of about 15 armed men carried out both attacks.
Efforts to reach the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, for confirmation were unsuccessful as of press time.
