No fewer than 15 people have been killed by suspected herdsmen in an early-hour attack on the Efeyi community in Ugboju District of Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to a local who identified himself as Okpe, who told newsmen in a telephone conversation that the attackers stormed the community around 5 am on Tuesday and shot sporadically.
He said, ‘The current situation in Efeyi Ugboju is pathetic. An attack that started since 5am this (Tuesday) morning till around 7 am; there was no response from security agents.
‘The attackers are herdsmen; they were shooting sporadically when they came into our community, as am talking to you now, 15 corpses have been recovered, while a search is ongoing because some people are still missing.
The chairman of Otukpo LGA, Maxwell Ogiri, who confirmed the attack, said that 14 dead bodies had been recovered while several people had sustained injuries.
Ogiri said that the attack was unprovoked, and he identified the attackers to be herdsmen.
‘Yes, there was an attack on Efeyi in Ogboju district, Otukpo LGA; 14 dead bodies have been recovered, many wounded.
‘There was no provocation at all; the attack was carried out by the same herdsmen. I think they just came to shed blood and kill people. Our people are afraid. There is a great apprehension; people from neighbouring communities are fleeing,’ Ogiri said.
Speaking on the presence of security personnel in the council, Ogiri said, ‘There are many security agencies, including Mopol, Agro-rangers, military, and police, but I do not know if they are not enough.’
He suggested that the government should try to enforce the anti-open grazing law of the state, stating that everything is tied to it. ‘Even the eviction notice given cannot hold because there is nobody to enforce it, and so, we will continue to lament.
‘Mine is to give them (security agents) a comfortable place to stay and other logistics, but I don’t determine their operation,’ he added.
Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, said she would respond when she gets the report.
She said, ‘I’ll respond to this when I get the report and details, please.’
Otukpo Nobi, a community in Otukpo LGA, was attacked about three weeks ago, with eight people reportedly killed by suspected herdsmen.