The Vanguard reports that it was a bloody Sunday in Benue State after suspected Fulani herdsmen allegedly slaughtered over 90 persons, including women and children, at Egba village in Agatu Local Government Area of the state. It was gathered from a resident of the community that the number might well exceed the current figure since many were still missing and unaccounted for. He said:
“The search for victims and survivors is still ongoing, but there is no doubt that the figure may rise because the entire village is like a killing field with blood stench everywhere and many are still missing.”
It was learnt that the attackers, who stormed the village at about 4 a.m., killed their victims, most of whom were fast asleep, in their homes after which they razed the community, destroying economic trees, food barns and farmland. The source said:
“They came from Loko in neighbouring Nasarawa State, and started shooting and breaking into people’s houses and who ever they met, including women and children, they hacked or shot. At the moment, we have been able to recover about 90 corpses and many injured.
The search is continuing but we are facing a major challenge. Many survivors with injuries are being evacuated to hospitals, but the problem is that we do not have a hospital in this area that is big enough to cater for the situation we have at hand.”
Reacting to the development, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, deputy governorship candidate and an indigene of the area, Mr. John Ngbede, described the attack and killings as barbaric and heart rending. He said 60 bodies had been recovered from the village at the time he spoke to his people.
Confirming the killing, Benue State Police Commissioner, Mr. Hyacinth Dagala, said his men had arrived the village to restore peace. Dagala, who confirmed the recovery of 30 bodies from the scene, said he would rely more on the report from his men, adding, however, that the search to recover more bodies was on-going.
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