More security operatives have been deployed to the troubled Ojantele and Okpette communities in Apa Local Government Area of Benue State, which were attacked on Friday.
The spokesperson for the state command, DSP Udeme Edet, said this in a statement issued and made available to journalists on Saturday.
While confirming the armed herders’ invasion of the communities on Friday, at a time when farmers were reportedly working on their farms, Edet said six bodies had been recovered from the attack.
He said that the joint security teams, comprising operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the military, and local youths from the affected communities, immediately mobilised into the forest to carry out search and rescue operations with the aim of locating victims and apprehending the perpetrators.
“At the end of the initial operation, six lifeless bodies were recovered. Efforts are ongoing to ensure the safety of residents in the affected communities.
“The Commissioner of Police in the state, Ifeanyi Emenari, assured the public that reinforcements have been sent to facilitate a more thorough and coordinated operation in the affected forests with the aim of tracking down those responsible for the attack.
“In the meantime, patrols have been intensified across the affected communities and the entire state to prevent any further attacks and to reassure residents of the continued readiness of security operatives to always confront such attacks,” the statement read in part.
Residents of the communities had reported that about 15 people were feared killed in the attack by suspected armed herders on Friday.
A source from the area told journalists on phone in Makurdi that the attack occurred on Friday evening and left many community members with varying degrees of injuries, while several others had gone missing.
A community member who spoke on condition of anonymity disclosed that the attackers arrived with a large number of cattle before opening fire on residents who were returning from their cashew farms.
The source said, “It was an unprovoked attack. The armed herders came with large herds of cattle and were grazing unhindered.
“But they saw some women and children who had gone to their cashew farms to collect cashew nuts. On their way back home, the armed herdsmen opened fire and started shooting innocent people and overran the community.
“The number of dead victims and those injured would be more than 15, which made our people run away. So far, we have recovered about 15 corpses and 11 others that were injured. We have evacuated the injured ones to the hospital in Ugbokpo, headquarters of Apa Local Government Area.”
Another resident who identified himself as Abu Abel confirmed the incident, saying, “It was herdsmen that attacked the community this afternoon and killed over 15 persons.” Abel described the incident as unprovoked and unwarranted.
“Our community is now completely deserted. We are calling on government to come to our aid. There is no security in the whole area. These are innocent people who went to look for their daily bread that were killed unjustifiably,” he said.
When contacted on phone, the Chairman of Apa Local Government, Mr Adams Ochega, confirmed the incident but said he was yet to get a full report of the attack.
“Yes, there was an attack on Ojantele community in Apa Local Government, but I am not in the local government area. I am away on an official trip.
“However, my attention has been drawn to the incident. You can call me tomorrow evening; by then I should have more information for you. So for now I cannot speak further, thanks,” he said.
Apa LGA has been among the councils in the state most frequently targeted by armed herders.
