. Victims mostly IDPs
No fewer than 100 people were on Saturday feared dead following an attack by armed invaders suspected to be members of the Lakurawa terror group, on Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
The attack took place in the early hours of Saturday.
Also, in a separate incident, two soldiers were killed in Daudu, another rural town in Guma LGA.
The latest attack marks the third assault on Yelewata in one week, a rural town, located on the Benue – Nasarawa border while Daudu lies about 20 minutes’ drive from Makurdi, the state capital.
It was learnt that the attackers arrived Yelewata just before midnight and laid siege to the community for over two hours, wreaking havoc with little or no resistance from security operatives.
“In previous attacks, some courageous local youths managed to repel them. But this time, the attackers came in large numbers with sophisticated weapons and completely overpowered the community,” a local source said.
A Guma local government staff, who preferred anonymity, said the massacre could best be described as an annihilation of a race, “because this is certainly a plan to wipe out an ethnic group.”
He said over 100 dead bodies had been recovered with many families burnt beyond recognition.
“Majority of the victims are IDPs who take shelters in market stalls and shops along the road. These evil bandits poured petrol before setting fire on the shelters, burnt them in their sleep. They broke into other people’s homes and hacked them to death with cutlasses.
“Some of the victims are between 10 and 15 family members. Over 40 were rushed to hospital and 20 already died on the way. I’m afraid the death toll may rise to 200,” he added.
Chief Dennis Denen Gbongbon, President of the Association of United Farmers Benue Valley (AUFBV), said, “At about 2am today, there was a very disturbing security incident involving Tiv farmers in the Yelewata community of Guma LGA. Suspected Lakurawa bandits, believed to be herders, attacked the area, killing over 62 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and farmers. Several homes were also burned, and entire families wiped out in ways that defy imagination.
“The death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue efforts continue. Many victims were burnt alive inside stores. I am currently on the ground, and from what I have seen, about 85 percent of the victims are IDPs who had earlier fled from communities such as Antsa, Dooka, Kadarko, and Giza, seeking refuge in various stores around the Yelewata market and nearby residences. Many have also been hospitalised.
“These IDPs are still farmers by livelihood. They were only in Yelewata to find safety. While it is important to distinguish between IDPs and resident farmers, doing so helps to understand the worsening reality these farmers face. Even after fleeing from their ancestral homes to seek refuge in IDP camps, terror continues to follow them without pause.”
Chairman of Guma LGA, Maurice Orwough, had yet to respond to calls put through his telephone at the time of filing this report.
Special Adviser to the Benue State Governor on Security and Internal Affairs, Chief Joseph Har, confirmed the incident to journalists in Makurdi.
“I can’t give an exact account of it because I’m not there physically but I’m aware that this ugly thing happened yesterday in Yelwata and at the back of Daudu. They are two different attacks. I can’t say the exact number because I don’t have the details,” he said.
Meanwhile in the Daudu attack, witnesses said the soldiers were responding to an attempted invasion by armed attackers on Friday night when they were ambushed and five of them were shot dead.
Contacted, Lt. Zubair Ahmad, the Public Relations Officer of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), said he would find out about the incident and revert to our correspondent later.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for Benue command, DSP Udeme Edet, confirmed the attack on Yelewata but did not give exact number of causalities.
Edet stated, “According to our information it happened in the early hours of today (Saturday) where suspected bandits invaded Yelewata town. The police and tactical teams posted to the town and reinforcement responded swiftly to the attack and engaged the attackers in a fierce exchange and some of the attackers were killed in the process.
“But it’s with great sadness that we report that some individuals lost their lives and others sustained injuries. The police however have not relented and are still in pursuit of the attackers and will continue to keep everyone safe.”
