Unknown gunmen have attacked Tor Donga in Katsina Ala Local Government Area of Benue state killing seven persons and injuring several others.
The Chairman of Katsina Ala LG, Mr. Alfred Atera, who confirmed this to journalists on phone, said the incident happened last Thursday, between 5-5:30pm.
He said the bandits attacked a priest, killed a passenger in his vehicle, and some members of the newly established community volunteer guards and others.
Atera told journalists on phone that “Bandits came to Tor Donga yesterday evening and killed seven persons.
“They killed Community Volunteer Guards members, injured two of them, then killed some other persons too on their way as they shot sporadically.
“Five injured persons are in the hospital including a Reverend father from Mbatseer who was going to Tor Donga.
“They met him, shot at him and killed the person in the car with him,” he said.
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The Chairman noted that the bandits are remnant of Azonto army, a militia gang leader. He was sure of that because the volunteer guard members told him they saw one Sonter a member of Azonto group, driving the car in which the gunmen came in.
He said all the security agencies; the police, Operation Whirl Stroke, (OPWS), and the security adviser, have been informed saying, “We are on top of it, doing our best to ensure that we get them. Something that we have never experienced for a long time now coming up, the resident are afraid. We are making sure that we assure they are safe.”
As at the time of writing this report, seven persons were dead while five others were receiving treatment in the hospital.
Also a military source who didn’t want to be named confirmed that unknown gunmen in a moving vehicle, on Thursday at about 4:40 pm at Tor Donga in Katsina-Ala LGA, forced themselves through the vigilante check point along Katsina-Ala/Tor Donga road.
It was gathered that troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), who were alerted about the sad development rushed to the area and gave the bandits a hot chase but couldn’t find them.
“They, however, recovered seven dead bodies and three wounded persons who are currently responding to treatment at an undisclosed hospital,” the source said.
Reacting to the incident, state Governor Samuel Ortom described it as unfortunate saying his government will make sure all criminal elements are tracked and flushed from the state.
“I assure you, we are going after them. We are not going to let them go free. Just like Gana, Azonto and many others, by the grace of God, they are going to be apprehended.
“I will not surrender my state to criminals. We will go after them. If they want to be good citizens of Benue, they should repent.
“But I believe that the Benue State Community Volunteer Guards when trained and fully equiped, will compliment the security agencies and some of these disturbances will end,” the government said.
