Despite the 6 pm to 6 am curfew imposed by Benue State Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia on the three local government areas of Sankera axis, of the state, gunmen suspected to be bandits Friday night killed 18 people in Mbacher council ward, Katsina-Ala LGA.
According to a native from the local government, the gunmen invaded the community around 11pm on Friday and killed the villagers.
It was gathered that the bandits assembled the people who pretended to be addressing them when they opened fire on some of them.
Chairman of Katsina-Ala LGA, Justine Shaku who confirmed the incident on Saturday said that the bandits had concluded their operation before the military got to the village.
According to Shaku, “At about 11pm yesterday (Friday) we received a distress call from the villagers that some group of terrorists mobilise themselves and were moving house to house forcing people to follow them.
“I quickly mobilise the military officers that are in Tor Doonga and been a remote area before they could reach there the people have been killed.
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” Yesterday night, I was told it was 17 but today 18 bodies have been confirmed dead. All of them were assembled in one place and killed.
“This morning, I, the assembly member and adviser on legislative matters held a meeting and we communicated the development to the Commissioner of Police.
The council chairman who described the activities of bandits in the area as ‘gorilla type of war’ said that the gunmen were ‘local terrorists.
“I no longer call them bandits because I’m seeing hands/ elements of terrorism in their activities. So to me I classify them as terrorists now.
” But they are terrorists within though they have external forces , those who are sponsoring and helping them to perpetrate the acts. The locals are the the major people that are doing it,” the chairman said.
Efforts to get Benue State Command spokesperson, Catherine Anene to confirm the incident were not successful as her phone rang out.
Meanwhile, the Security Adviser to the governor confirmed the incident.
