No fewer than 50 people are feared to have been killed during a four‑day attack by suspected herdsmen who invaded several communities in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State. Metro reports that the affected villages include Adam, Iyarinwa, Abamde Ityuluv, Waya Boagundu, Agura Ayaga and Azege in Turan Council Ward, Kwande LGA.
The immediate past Chairman of the LGA, Tertsua Yarkbewan, told journalists on the phone on Monday that “over 50 people were killed” in the attacks. He lamented, “My people are being massacred like goats. We are hearing about Fulani attacks, especially in Turan on the Kwande axis. Even places that had never been attacked before are now witnessing violence. Every day we hear that four or five people were killed; the exact number is hard to determine because some bodies are still in the bush and have not been recovered. Given the casualties in the past few days, I believe the death toll exceeds 50.”
State Police Public Relations Officer Catherine Anene, when contacted, disputed the figure. She said, “They have not given me the report, but it is not up to 50. The initial report mentioned a change of leadership in the division. The new DPO reported last Friday, and when I asked for a situation report he said the area is calm now.”
Meanwhile, APC governorship candidate Hyacinth Alia, in a statement issued by his media aide Isaac Uzaan, condemned the attacks on communities in Kwande and Gwer‑West by suspected herders. He expressed deep concern over the invasion and the gruesome killings, noting that such violence has become a new normal in the state. The statement added that the resurgence of brutal killings of Benue citizens was especially troubling in the wake of the presidential and National Assembly elections that produced Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as president‑elect of Nigeria.
In response, acting PDP Chairman in the state, Isaac Teryila, also condemned the attacks, which resulted in loss of lives, destruction of property—including farms—and displacement of residents. He warned that “if these attacks are not halted by security forces, they will further worsen the problem of low voter turnout at the upcoming governorship and state House of Assembly elections slated for March 11, 2023, across the state.”
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