Soldier, Four Others Killed in Suspected Cultist Attacks in Benue

A soldier and four others have been reportedly killed by gunmen suspected to be cultists in North Bank, a suburb of Makurdi, the capital of Benue State. The incident occurred on Friday night, continuing a wave of violence in the area that has seen a series of rival cult clashes in recent weeks, claiming several lives and properties.

Eyewitnesses revealed that two young men, who were not affiliated with any cult group, were killed in the attack, becoming victims of the suspected cultists. Nura Umar, the chairman of the Operation Shara vigilante group in the area, confirmed that the four fatalities, including the soldier, were killed in separate attacks on Thursday and Friday nights. According to Umar, the cultists struck on Friday night between 10 and 11 p.m., killing the soldier and two other individuals near the BIPC. He added that the two boys who died were not cult members. Earlier, on Thursday night, a suspected cultist was also killed while sleeping in his home.

Catherine Anene, spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, confirmed the reports of cult activity in North Bank. She stated that while there had indeed been cult-related incidents, only one civilian death had been officially confirmed. Police operatives have since been deployed to the area to address the ongoing violence.