Bandits: 400 People Killed In Benue In 3 Weeks

Following unabated killings by suspected herders in Benue State, which have left no fewer than 400 dead in three weeks, President Muhammadu Buhari has asked security agencies to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to book.

He also condemned the use of terrorism as a tool in inter-communal conflicts.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, noted that the President said all efforts be made to end the “extreme violence.’’

Meanwhile, findings by Sunday Vanguard revealed that apart from last week’s incidents, which left over 100 dead, nearly 300 had been killed in the last three weeks.

The state has witnessed unprecedented attacks on several communities by suspected armed herdsmen, which also left several many injured.

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The worst hit in the recent attacks is communities in the Benue South District, the home of the Idoma-speaking people.
Apa, Agatu and Otukpo axis of the area accounts for the majority of the casualties.

Several sources in the communities said Apa Local Government Area,LGA, alone recorded over 250 deaths while no fewer than 75 persons lost their lives in Otukpo LGA within this period.

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Agatu LGA, which used to be the epicentre of herders’ incursions in Benue South, recorded minimal attacks with about 30 casualties.
Other places affected include Ikpobi, Odugbo, Ugbobi Akpanta, Ologba, Oyiji and Imana in Apa LGA. Oshigbudu Atakpa and Okpagabi in Agatu were also not spared.

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Photo Credit: Getty