Scores Killed as Bandits Rampage Through Nine Benue Communities

Bandits have laid waste to nine communities within the Apa Local Government Area of Benue State, leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake.

Reports indicate that these communities now lie deserted, with surviving residents fleeing for their lives as the attackers continue their onslaught, which commenced several days ago.

While initial estimates suggest a death toll of 25, Abu Umoru, the lawmaker representing the affected area in the state Assembly, confessed to losing count of the casualties, emphasizing that approximately 95% of the local government’s communities have been abandoned due to the relentless attacks.

Umoru grimly recounted the dire situation, stating, “Every day they will be burning houses in Akpete. As I speak to you, for three consecutive days, they have been going to Akpete and burning houses after chasing them out of their ancestral homes.”

He further expressed his anguish over the escalating crisis, disclosing his personal health struggles as a result of the turmoil. “I have gone to my communities to sympathize with my people and because of the killings, I have developed a problem that I have to go to the hospital for a checkup,” he lamented.

The lawmaker’s distress extended beyond the immediate communities, as he highlighted incidents of violence disrupting vital transportation routes, exacerbating the region’s instability.

Umoru’s plea for intervention resonated with a sense of helplessness, as he questioned the efficacy of past motions raised in higher assemblies and underscored the urgent need for divine intervention in the face of mounting despair.

Efforts to obtain official responses from law enforcement and government authorities proved futile, with the Benue State Police Command spokesperson, Catherine Anene, citing a lack of reports on the attacks, while attempts to reach Governor Hyacinth Alia’s Special Adviser on Security, Joseph Har, went unanswered.