Benue: Bandits raid nine Benue settlements, killing scores of people.

In the Apa Local Government Area of Benue State, bandits have invaded around nine towns, killing people and setting buildings on fire.

It was learned that those who survived the attack, which started a few days ago, had fled for their lives, leaving the towns abandoned.

Although some residents reported that there had been 25 casualties, Abu Umoru, the state Assembly member for the area, stated he had lost count.

The congressman claims that as a result of the ongoing attacks, 95% of the local government’s villages are now abandoned.

“About 95 per cent of a section of my community is displaced and I can mention them,” the lawmaker stated.

“The entire Edikpo community has been displaced, the entire Opaha, where I come from, nobody in is that community; Odugbo, nobody is there; Akpete, Ikobi, Akpata, Idiaha, Ochumekwu, Adiga nobody is in those communities.

“They will be setting houses on fire in Akpete every day.” As I speak to you, for three consecutive days, they have been going to Akpete and burning houses after chasing them out of their ancestral homes.
Umoru bemoaned that the crisis had spread beyond the villages and claimed he had been ill as a result.

“They have been laying ambush, killing people, one, two three to five persons on a daily basis.

“Right now I don’t know the number of casualties. It’s so many.”

He said, “I have gone to my communities to sympathise with my people and because of the killings I have developed a problem that I have to go to the hospital for a checkup.

“The killings are terrible. Even yesterday (Wednesday), on the highway around Nasarawa Toto leading to Oweto up to Otukpo, between a village called Ojantele and Orozo, Fulani put their cows on the road for three hours, no movement that the Hausa people who travel on these big trucks came down and were talking to them because they barricaded the road.

“These killings have gone beyond us. Our representatives at the National Assembly have moved motions times without numbers but what has happened? Who do we cry to? We need to cry to God.

“It’s a pathetic situation. I don’t know what to do; I’m speechless. Sometimes I ask myself: ‘Why should I contest (for election)?’ I can’t go with my personal resources to go and do anything anywhere.