Two weeks after the violent Zaki Biam protests, which claimed three lives and destroyed many properties, gunmen suspected of being militias killed 18 people, kidnapped three others, and destroyed properties worth millions of Naira in Mbacher council ward of Benue State’s Katsina-Ala Local Government Area.
The incident occurred early Saturday and injured two persons, while many others have been moved due to fears of further attacks.
A local source stated that “the militia stormed the village in large numbers and opened fire on people.”
When contacted, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Kastina-Ala LGA, Justine Shaku, confirmed the attack to newsmen over the phone from Makurdi. He stated that soldiers had received intelligence about the attack on Mbache village, but by the time they arrived, the bandits had already wreaked havoc and fled the scene.
“Yes, I can confirm that 18 persons were killed and two others wounded by terrorist bandits in my local government area,” Shaku said. “We received a distress call from the villagers that a group of terrorists had mobilized and were going from house to house, forcing people to follow them. Some were wounded. Last night, I was informed that seventeen people had died, but today, it has been confirmed that eighteen were killed. They were all gathered in one place and executed.”
Shaku further reported that, prior to the killings, some people had been kidnapped, including an Igbo man and his two children. He added that there have been several recent incidents of kidnapping in the area, indicating a resurgence of such activities.
Meanwhile, the Benue State Police Command has also confirmed the attack in Kastina-Ala LGA. The command’s spokesman, Sewuese Anene, confirmed the incident in a text message to newsmen, stating that an investigation is ongoing and that normalcy has returned to the area.