Residents of Apa, Benue State, have taken to the streets in protest against the recent wanton killings in the area by suspected herdsmen militia.
Scores of youths trooped to the Oweto-Loko/Abuja road on Friday morning. The protesters mounted roadblocks on the expressway.
The protest made commuter to be stranded for over five hours.
Some of the protesters, who spoke to our correspondent, said they would not open the roadblock until President Muhammadu Buhari or Governor Samuel Ortom came to address them.
The protesters lamented that over 100 people had been killed in the community, including a beaded chief whose hand was chopped off while running from the Fulani herdsmen.
On Wednesday, forty-six persons were reportedly after suspected armed herders unleashed a deadly attack on the Umogidi community of Entekpa Adoka district in the Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.
The fresh attack came a day after suspected herders invaded the community and killed three persons on Tuesday.
On Monday, the Igbobi community in the neighbouring Apa Local Government Area of the state was also attacked, with three persons killed.
It was gathered that the armed herders returned to the Umogidi community on Wednesday evening, shortly after the burial of the three persons earlier killed in the Tuesday attack.
The Special Adviser to Governor Samuel Ortom on Security, Lt. Col. Paul Hemba (retd.), while speaking to journalists on the phone, described the incident as “very tragic and painful.”
He said, ‘I can confirm to you that there was an attack in Umogidi and as of this morning, the causality figure, from those who were seen physically from what I was told, was 46. But the figure may be higher because some people are still reported missing.”
Also, confirming the attack, the Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Bako Eje, on Thursday, said, “You know that these herders killed three people on Tuesday and they (herders) came back on Wednesday at about 4.15 pm and killed 46 people, including my own son, who was 32 years old. We just buried him and some other persons are still missing.
“Among the people killed were my immediate younger sister’s husband, and her second son who was almost 38 years old.”
Narrating the attack, a resident of the community, who identified himself as Sunny, said, “We were still mourning the death of the three people killed on Tuesday by these herders when we started hearing gunshots from different angles leading to the death of several people.”
The spokesperson for the state police command, Catherine Anene, confirmed the recovery of eight corpses.
“Attack on Umogidi community is confirmed. Eight corpses have been recovered, including a police officer. More police teams have been deployed to the area to forestall further breakdown of law and order,” Anene said.
Meanwhile, no fewer than 60 people have been reportedly killed across some villages in the state in the past month.
