Africa-Press – Nigeria. Chairman of Ado Local Government Area of Benue State Sunday Oche has bemoaned the renewed attacks by armed herdsmen on communities in the council.
He said several residents have been injured and displaced by the relentless and incessant assaults.
He disclosed this on Monday during a chat with journalists in Makurdi.
Oche said armed herders had overrun Ijigban, Ulayi and Utonkon communities, attacking mourners, ambushing farmers, inflicting machete wounds on at least two persons, and carting away three motorcycles.
He said mourners conveying the remains of a community member from a mortuary in Igumale to Ulayi were ambushed over the weekend, and many sustained wounds from gunshots and machetes.
“These attackers descended on innocent mourners. They macheted two of our illustrious sons, Philip Okpekwu and Dr Benedict Ogaba, and even went away with their motorcycle. It was a tragic and heartless assault,” he said.
Oche further said Okpekwu, who sustained severe injuries, was first rushed to the General Hospital in Igumale, but because he was not improving, he was referred to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi.
“Just this morning, I received a report that Philip Okpekwu is now bleeding from his nose. His condition remains critical,” he added.
He said his team and local security personnel had pursued the attackers towards the Akparata axis of Ulayi and mounted strategic surveillance to prevent further incursions.
According to him, some armed herders who attacked communities in Utonkon were arrested.
“Those herders have been arrested and they agreed to pay compensation for the crops they destroyed. But this is not enough. The attacks are taking a new and dangerous dimension,” he stated.
He urged both the federal and state governments to deploy additional security personnel to vulnerable communities.
When contacted to confirm the incident, the spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, DSP Udeme Edet, said she would get back if she obtained any information.
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