By Atoyebi Nike
At least 43 people have been reported dead in fresh attacks across Benue State. The violence, which occurred on Sunday evening, adds to a growing toll of insecurity in the region.
Suspected herders invaded Tse Antswam, a community near Naka in Gwer West Local Government Area. The attackers opened fire around 7 p.m., leaving many casualties. A local pastor was among the victims.
Reverend Timothy Kume, chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) in Benue, confirmed the incident. He told Punch that the number of casualties was still unclear. “It’s not that I don’t have the figure, but the one I have is old. As you know, the attack is happening nearly every day,” he said.
While the police have not released a statement, Amnesty International condemned the ongoing killings. In a release on Monday, the organisation said at least 85 people were killed in Benue in just one week.
“In barely a week, at least 85 people have been killed in Benue State,” the statement read. “Last week, gunmen killed 42 people during gruesome attacks on villages in Gwer West LGA.”
On the same night as the Naka attack, another group of gunmen attacked Edikwu Ankpali in Apa Local Government Area. Eyewitnesses reported that 25 people were killed in the raid. Their bodies are now being prepared for burial.
So far, no security agency has confirmed the attacks. No arrests have been made. Local residents and leaders have continued to call for urgent government intervention.
As of press time, no group has claimed responsibility. The killings have raised renewed concerns over the worsening state of security in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
