Waves of Terror: Armed Attackers Claim More Lives in Benue Community Carnage

At least three individuals have tragically lost their lives following renewed attacks by suspected armed assailants in the Anyiase community, located in the Moon Council Ward of Kwande Local Government Area in Benue State. The violence, described by residents, occurred between Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, less than 24 hours after another fatal attack was reported in a rural community within the Okpokwu Local Government Area.

Akerigba Lawrence, a former Supervisory Councillor in the area, detailed that the attackers stormed farmlands in Anyiase around 3:20 p.m. on Thursday. During this assault, two farmers, identified as Asongo Nagwebe and Tarzan Agbahegh, were killed. Additionally, a man and a woman sustained severe injuries and were promptly transported to the General Hospital in Jato-Aka for urgent medical attention.

Lawrence further disclosed that the male victim, whose injuries were critical, later succumbed to them while being transferred to Makurdi for more advanced medical care. This unfortunate event raised the death toll from the farm attack to three. According to his account, the suspected attackers did not cease their violence; they also established a road blockade at Kyoawen Junction on Friday morning. There, they opened fire on a commercial bus carrying passengers, though the exact number of casualties from this latest roadside attack could not be immediately confirmed at the time reports were being filed.

Efforts to obtain official reactions and confirmations from authorities proved unsuccessful. Vitalis Neji, the Chairman of Kwande Local Government Area, did not respond to phone calls or text messages. Similarly, the Benue State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, could not be reached for an official statement before press time.