At least one person has been confirmed killed Tuesday as suspected armed herdsmen attacked the Ondo community in Ugboju District of Otukpo local government area of Benue state.
The Benue state Police command confirmed the attack, saying the incident occurred at about 6.10 a.m resulting in the killing of
a youth leader and leaving several others injured.
The incident happened barely 48 hours after a deadly assault on the Otukpo-Nobi community.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, said the command received information that unknown gunmen had invaded the Ondo community, where one Sunday Ogoh, the community’s youth chairman, was killed.
She added that the Head of Ondo and several other injured victims were rushed to hospital for treatment.
Edet stated that tactical police teams, senior officers, members of the Benue State Civil Protection Guard, vigilante groups and other security agencies had been deployed to the area.
She said security operatives were working to apprehend those responsible for the attack, assuring that further developments would be communicated.
The latest attack by the suspected armed herdsmen few days after the invasion of the neighbouring Otukpo-Nobi community, has deepened fears over the worsening security situation in Benue South.
In the aftermath of Tuesday’s attack, angry youth staged a protest by blocking the busy Otukpo–Agatu Road. The demonstrators barricaded the highway with burning tyres and other objects, bringing traffic to a complete standstill and leaving commuters stranded for several hours.
The protesters called on the federal and Benue state governments to take urgent steps to end the recurring attacks on communities in the area, insisting that residents could no longer continue to live under constant fear of violent assaults.