As Nigerians were commemorating the Independence day anniversary on October 1, yesterday, gunmen suspected to be herdsmen attacked Egwuma village in Agatu Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State, killing six persons including two soldiers, while many other persons sustained various degrees of injury in the attack.
The former Senior Special Assistant to former Governor Samuel Ortom on Media, Olikita Ekanni, who hails from the local government area told newsmen on Wednesday that armed herdsmen invaded Egwuma community in Agatu LGA and killed six inhabitants of the community.
“Yesterday afternoon, armed herdsmen invaded the Egwuma community in Agatu LGA and killed six inhabitants of the community.
“When the herdsmen finished with the community members, they went to the soldiers base and still attacked them.
“The herders snatched four of the soldiers’ machine, then killed two of their personnel and one was declared missing yesterday but today, he has appeared.
“The entire community has been deserted; there is nobody left behind again, except for the few soldiers that are remaining there,” Olikita said.
Olikita said the caretaker committee chairman of Agatu has drawn the attention of the State government to the situation saying “we are still waiting for them to do the needful so as to avert further attacks.”
He told newsmen that the herdsmen had before now attacked the same community in the past and killed 12 people before soldiers were drafted to the area.
He said “I don’t know why they still came to attack our people even with the presence of soldiers.
“This is a terrible situation, we need more presence of armed security personnel in the community. Nobody knows the mission of these invaders,” he lamented.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer PPRO SP Catherine Anene said the command was yet to receive any report about the attack as at press time (about 6pm today).
However, confirming the attack, the Caretaker Chairman of Agatu LGA, Hon Philip Ebenyakwu said: “Yes, there was a serious attack in Egwuma yesterday and we lost about six lives including two soldiers.
“The incident happened around after 5pm. They were coming from Kogi State because we have a boundary with them from the Guma axis. They crossed in from Kogi State, took the soldiers by surprise and began to shoot sporadically.
“They killed six persons with two soldiers and took their guns and ran away. We also have other casualties.”
“We have contacted security in that regard and the soldiers are mobilizing; the Navy, Air Force commandant, the Commissioner of Police and the Chief Security Aides to the Benue state Governor, to get to the area,” Ebenyakwu said.
