Johnson Babajide – Makurdi
A community chief and two other people were on Monday killed by suspected herdsmen at Igbobi in Apa LGA of Benue state.
This is coming barely a day after some gunmen invaded a Church, killed one person and abducted three other worshippers during an all night.
A report from Igbobi in Apa LGA said that the suspected herders stormed the community and shot indiscriminately at the villagers and abducted a community leader who was later killed.
The National Chairman of Ikobi community development, Akpoko Eche told newsmen in a telephone chat that the suspected herdsmen had been terrorising the area since January this year.
Eche who is also a legal practitioner said, “There was an attack at the Igbobi community which is adjacent to Ikobi, the community leader was adopted and killed along with two other persons.
“The attackers are suspected herdsmen if you like to call them bandits or unknown gunmen whatever they are but they are killers. In fact, they started this way back on the 17th of January this year, so it is a renewed attack.
“It has been a routine, almost every year at this dry season they come back and attacked people, maimed and raped women and destroy their farm crops and houses.
“So it has been a routine all this while. But this year’s own is colossal because they have wiped out almost 20 villages if not more.”
Also, the paramount ruler of the Idoma nation, His Royal Majesty, John Elaigwu has raised the alarm of incessant killings of his subjects by suspected herders.
In a statement issued through his media aide, Onuminya Odoba, the royal father said, “There have been a series of coordinated hostilities and violent attacks within the farming communities of Benue South, especially but not limited to Apa/Agatu corridor.
“The assailants are suspected herdsmen and cattle rearers who visit farms with hundreds of cows, destroying crops, and livelihoods, maiming, raping, and killing innocent citizens forcing many to leave their ancestral homestead.
“These recent attacks which have claimed not less than 75 lives and displaced thousands from their homes and businesses, unfortunately, brutally claimed the life of the Chief of Igbobi in Apa LGA yesterday, 3/4/2023”, the statement read in parts.
But the Miyeitti Alla Cattle and Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN in the state said those carrying out attacks on Apa LGA were not known to them.
The association scribe, Ibrahim Galma who spoke to newsmen on the phone on Tuesday said, “We don’t have people (herdsmen) in Apa we don’t know them we don’t have their leaders and we don’t know where they come from.
The Police Public Relations Officer, in the state, Catherine Anene, could not be reached for confirmation as calls put across her cellphone were not picked up.
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