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Ikenna Ngere
Guest
Armed attackers reportedly killed two soldiers, a village head, and six residents in the Egwuma community, Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, on Tuesday evening.
The assault, which occurred around 5 p.m., left the village shaken. According to local sources, the attackers also seized weapons from the slain soldiers, seriously injuring another.
A former member of the Benue State House of Assembly representing Agatu constituency, Sule Audu, confirmed the incident in a phone interview with Daily Trust.
He stated that nine people, including the two soldiers, the village head of Egwuma, and six others, were killed during the attack.
Audu said, “The incident happened between 4pm and 5pm on Tuesday. The bandits attacked Egwuma through Akile axis, boycotting the road where soldiers were stationed. They opened fire on people in their houses. They killed the clan head of the village and six others as well as two soldiers and carted away soldiers’ arms.
“One of the soldiers was seriously wounded. They went back to the part of Agatu land that they are occupying; villages like Ogwumogbo, Ejuma, Akile, Okpogbolo, Okpiye, Echije. It was on Sunday that the people returned home after soldiers assured them of safety, then they were killed on Tuesday. The affected village had long been deserted following the bandits invasion. They would attack and run back to the villages they are occupying.”
Audu added that the attackers likely came from Nasarawa and Kogi states, where they have maintained a presence in the area, terrorizing local communities.
He noted that while the soldiers had been instrumental in curbing past attacks, the situation remains dire.
When contacted, Benue State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) SP Catherine Anene said she had not yet received a detailed report of the attack.
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