Three individuals have been reported fatally attacked by individuals believed to be armed herders in an ambush that occurred on the bustling Makurdi-Lafia road near the Ortese area within the Guma Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State.
This incident occurred approximately one week after armed herders allegedly ambushed and fatally attacked three Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who were fishing in the Gwer West Local Government Area of the state.
Information from a local source suggests that the assailants set up an ambush along the highway on Thursday evening and Friday morning near Hirnyam, Pevkyaa, and Ortaver villages, resulting in several individuals sustaining severe injuries.
According to him, “On the first day which was Thursday evening, the armed herdsmen came out to the Makurdi-Lafia road near the NYSC farm and shot three persons. “Two of the victims died on the spot but the third person who sustained serious injuries survived and he was rushed to the hospital for treatment.”
“After that, they came and took over the road again yesterday morning and shot some other persons. One of the victims died but others survived.”
“We are scared that they might take over the road again today if security is not beefed up around that axis. Those killed were not travelers on the busy road. But they might be targeting travelers on that busy road. “Recently these armed herdsmen seemed to have become emboldened and are attacking communities around that axis and those in Gwer West LGA of the state,” he said.
Mr. Christopher Waku, the Security Secretary of Guma Local Government Area, verified the incident, stating that three individuals lost their lives. He clarified that the armed herders had set up an ambush for two consecutive days in the Ortese area, where they fatally shot three people on the Daudu/Ortese road along the Makurdi-Lafia Highway.
According to him, “It was not a roadblock, the armed herdsmen stood on the Daudu – Ortese road. They killed two persons yesterday Thursday, at about 5 p.m., and injured one person who is receiving treatment at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, BSUTH.
“Today Friday in the morning they killed one person. All together, they killed three people. And the persons they killed were the locals.” he said.
When reached out for comment, Superintendent SP Catherine Anene, the Police Public Relations Officer, expressed her lack of knowledge regarding the incident.