Angry youths on Sunday reportedly stormed the palace of the Och’Idoma, His Royal Majesty Agabaidu Elaigwu John Odogbo, carrying the bodies of victims following fresh attacks by suspected armed herders in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to reports, at least 10 people were killed in separate attacks on communities within the local government area.
Sources said the first incident occurred on Saturday in Akpachi Village, Ugboju, where two residents were killed and several others injured. A second attack was reported in the early hours of Sunday at Otukpo Nobi Village, where gunmen allegedly invaded the community and killed no fewer than eight people while they slept.
In protest against the killings, residents and youths reportedly carried the corpses of the victims to the Och’Idoma Palace, demanding urgent intervention from the Benue State Government, the Federal Government, and security agencies to address the worsening security situation in Benue South.
The attacks are believed to be linked to tensions following the June 26 killing of the Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Ardo Risku Mohammed, and his associate, Yakubu Isah, who were attacked while returning from a peace meeting in Ohimini Local Government Area.
The Benue State Police Command has yet to officially confirm the latest incident. When contacted by journalists, the command's spokesperson, DSP Udeme Edet, reportedly responded briefly, saying, “Noted please.”
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Crime