By Alfred Ifemosu
Barely a week after gunmen invaded Imana community in Benue State Killing four persons, gunmen again invaded four villages in Ikobi council Ward, Apa Local Government of the state killing no fewer than 10 people.
One of the villagers, who claimed to have been displaced as a result of the incident, disclosed thatthat nine bodies were recovered from the affected communities as of the time he fled to the Apa LGA headquarters in Ugbokpo.
“Nine persons were killed three days after the attack on Ibele, Ochumekwu and Ijaha by armed herders. It has been sustained attacks on our people for the past two weeks.
“They have been terrorising us and as I speak to you in Ikobi, there is nobody and Ikobi has a population of over one million people. All the people have run away, taking shelter at Ugbokpo, the LGA headquarter, ” he told a northern based online medium.
The Chairman of the Apa Development Association, a socio-cultural umbrella body of the Apa people, Barrister Eche Akpoko, confirmed the attacks on the four communities, claiming that one more corpse was discovered after the nine found earlier.
According to Akpoko, five people were killed in Ijaha-Ibele, three in Ochumekwu while the remaining two were killed in Adija and Kano villages respectively.
“I can confirm to you that there was a serial attack on the following communities: Ijaha- Ibele 5 Ochumekwu 3, Adija 1 and Kano1 all of Apa LGA on 14th, 15th & 16th of February, 2024 respectively with a total number of ten casualties ascertained so far! We condemn the dastardly act in strong terms,” Akpoko said.
As at the time of filing this report, Benue State Police Command has yet to comment on the development.
Source: Daily Trust online.