In a fresh assault on villages in Edikwu 2 Council Ward of Apa Local Government Area of Benue State, suspected armed Fulani herdsmen murdered an officer, a soldier, and 15 other people.
According to information obtained, among the localities under siege by the marauders are Odogbo and Opaha, the residences of Mr. Abu Umoro, a state assembly man who represents Apa State Constituency, and Mr. David Olofu, the state’s commissioner of finance.
The incident comes just after the weekend’s assault on the Ankpali village in the same Edikwu Ward 2, where Mr. Nathaniel Ochoche, the Labour Party’s Ward Chairman, and three other people were killed in a herdsmen ambush.
Apparently, the herders who rushed the settlements on Tuesday about 6 o’clock in what seemed to be a planned attack also caused significant injuries to several of the victims, according to a local native who went by the name Kole.
The source said, “Among the 17 corpses so far recovered this morning (yesterday) from the attacked communities were the remains of two military personnel, and one of them was the Commander of the troops that went to confront the armed Fulani herdsmen when the attack was going on.”
When reached, Mr. Eche Akpoko, the chairman of the Apa Development Association, acknowledged the assault and said that he was still awaiting word from the besieged towns even though 10 dead, including those of two military soldiers, had already been retrieved.
The Opaha-born State Commissioner of Finance, Mr. Olofu, also acknowledged the incident and emphasised that 15 villagers’ and two soldiers’ dead had been found.
The commissioner said that he was in route to the community to get a firsthand assessment of the local development.
When reached, the OPWS, Fl. Lt. DO Oquah, spokesperson for the military joint operation in the state known as Operation Whirl Stroke, said that he was unable to comment since he was out of town.
Telephone contact was also impossible with the OPWS Sector Commander in charge of Apa LGA.
In the meanwhile, Superintendent, SP, Catherine Anene, the police public relations officer who verified the repeated assaults, said she had not yet been given any more information.
