On Friday night, gunmen suspected to be bandits raided the Mbacher community in Mbacher Council Ward, Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, killing 18 persons.
According to local government sources, the attack occurred at 11:00 p.m., despite the state government-imposed curfew.
The bandits were claimed to have gathered the villagers with the intention of addressing them before opening fire.
Recall that two weeks ago, Benue State Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia ordered a 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew in the Sankera axis following a violent protest in Ukum LGA. The Sankera axis, which includes Katsina-Ala, Ukum, and Logo, has been the centre for criminal activities in the state.
The source further revealed that 18 bodies were recovered by the military on Saturday morning.
Justine Shaku, Chairman of Katsina-Ala LGA, confirmed the incident and stated that the bandits finished their attack before the soldiers arrived.
Shaku also stated that other persons were injured during the attack.
The gunmen's activities were labelled as "local terrorism" by the council chairman, who noted that their tactics were similar to guerilla warfare.
“I no longer call them bandits because I’m seeing elements of terrorism in their activities. “They are terrorists within, though they have external forces aiding them. "The locals are the main perpetrators," Shaku said.
Attempts to contact the Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, were fruitless as her phone rang without response. However, Joseph Har, the Special Adviser on Security and Internal Affairs to Governor Hyacinth Alia, confirmed the incident.
