Suspected Fulani gunmen kill 30 in Benue, Nasarawa

Suspected Fulani gunmen on Saturday evening and Sunday morning attacked and killed 30 persons, mostly women and children, in Guma, Kwande, Buruku and Keana Local Government Areas of Benue and Nasarawa states.

The PUNCH gathered that the villages attacked in Guma LGA are Tse-Uosu, Tse-Gbudu Taraka and Branch Umenger in Mbadwem council.

In Keana, the invaders attacked Iornungun while in Kwande, the gunmen invaded Jato/Aka and environs just as many residents of Mbatie, Mbatsease and Mbaatungu Aji, all in Buruku LGA, were displaced by the armed herdsmen.

It was further gathered that apart from those killed, several others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

A fleeing native from Guma, identified as Suunen, told our correspondent that the gunmen stormed the communities while they were resting after the day’s work and started shooting sporadically at innocent and defenceless people of the area.

Suunen added that residents of neighbouring communities had fled their villages over fears that the suspected Fulani militias might attack their communities.

Another victim, Terungwa, said his mother narrowly escaped death from Mbatie and now taking refuge in Yandev, Gboko LGA.

The Commissioner of Police, Hyacinth Dagala, confirmed the attack and said eight corpses had been recovered.

He noted that the command had intensified surveillance just as additional security had been provided to stop the attacks from escalating.

Source:

Punch Newspaper