At least 30 people have been killed in a wave of attacks by armed men in rural communities across Kastina-Ala and Logo Local Government Areas of Benue State.
The coordinated assaults occurred on Sunday and the early hours of Monday, leaving devastation in their wake. Eyewitnesses reported recovering 10 bodies in Kastina-Ala and another 20 in Logo, with many more residents feared injured or missing. The assailants are suspected to be heavily armed militia from outside Nigeria.
Chief Joseph Anawah, a community leader in Logo, described the attack on Azege and nearby settlements in the Tombo Council Ward.
“Over 300 armed men invaded the area around 7 a.m. on Sunday. Local security forces were overwhelmed due to the attackers’ numbers and advanced weaponry. It was only the intervention of a military jet that caused them to retreat,” Anawah said.
In Kastina-Ala, Council Chairman Justine Shaku confirmed attacks on Adabo village and Tse Gwebe in the Utange Council Ward of Shitile.
“Many people were killed, and properties worth millions were destroyed,” Shaku lamented.
Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, confirmed the incidents but reported a lower number of casualties than initially stated.
The attacks have heightened tensions in the areas, with calls for swift government intervention to curb the escalating violence.