Suspected Fulani herdsmen at the early hour of Wednesday, February 20, killed 16 persons in Ebete, under Usha ward in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State.
Our correspondent gathered that the unprovoked attack on Agatu started at exactly 1 am when people were deeply asleep.
According to an eye witness, Daddy Seni whose father was killed alongside his siblings, he had left his father at Ebete to Aloko for fishing, when he received a call from his father asking him to turn back, that he had been shot by Fulani herdsmen.
Daddy Seni said when he got to his father, lying down in a pool of his blood almost giving up, he tried take him to the hospital but his father said to him, “my son, don’t bother about me and your siblings again, ours have finished, we can’t survive these gunshots, run for your dear life to tell others about this,” then he gave up.
The deceased son who narrated the incidence to Agatu Council Chairman, Alhaji Oyigocho who rushed to Ebete with some Council members alongside security men, said he heard the killers speaking Fulani language while trying to run from the scene as he (Seni the deceased son) hid himself in the bush.
He said among the 16 persons that were murdered by the herdsmen, were three Jukum hunters who were hunting animal before they met their untimely death.
Reacting to the unfortunate incident, the Acting Chairman Agatu Local Government Council, Oyigocho appealed to the government to quickly come to their aid.
He lamented that this was happening at a time Nigerians were preparing to elect their new leaders this Saturday, adding that, if the situation continues, it would disorganize so many things.
He said his people have never taken laws into their hands despite provocations from herdsmen whom he said had taken over farm lands in most parts of Agatu land.
Oyigocho urged Agatu sons and daughters to remain calm to allow the law enforcement agencies to carry out their duties effectively.
Confirming the incident, the head of Operation Whirl Stroke, OPWS, in Benue, General Adeyemi Yekini acknowledged receipt of a report that some people were killed in Agatu by suspected armed bandits.
“I received a report this afternoon that some people were killed in Agatu by suspected armed bandits. I’m not sure of the number of casualty yet but I don’t think it’s up to 16. We have sent a patrol team to the general area where the incident happened.
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“Although, the location where it happened can better be accessed through Loko in Nasarawa State, we are already sending a patrol team there to verify what really happened”, Yekini said.
Reacting to the Agatu killings, Governor Samuel Ortom confirmed that he met earlier in the day with the commissioner of Police Mr. Omololu Bishi who confirmed the attack in Ebete in Agatu.
Governor Ortom however said 17 persons were killed by the suspected armed herdsmen.
The Governor in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase described the attack as unfortunate saying he has reported of threats of attack on Benue people.
“We feel that this is unfortunate, because the governor has raised an alarm that some persons for political reasons are planning to unleash armed herdsmen on innocent Benue people, to create fear in the people for political gains.
“This is quite unfortunate and is condemnable. The government of Benue State condemns this and urges security agencies to immediately move in to forestall further attacks on innocent people of Benue State”.
Ortom insisted that the state can’t afford to have another rounds of killings as occurred in 2018.
