Residents of Awe Street in Makurdi are beginning to rebuild a sense of normalcy after a violent outbreak believed to be linked to rival cult groups disrupted the community over the weekend.
DAILY POST witnessed a strong presence of security personnel, including police, military, Department of State Services (DSS), and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), patrolling the streets.
Residents said their deployment has been key to restoring calm.
A shop owner, who requested anonymity for security reasons, expressed relief: âWe are happy now. Peace has returned, and businesses are opening again.â
According to eyewitness accounts, the violence began in the early hours of Saturday after what residents described as rising tension linked to an earlier killing.
âEverything was normal that night before we started hearing gunshots. We already feared something like this could happen,â said a source.
Residents claim that at least four people were killed, including one individual who later died from injuries, while two others were said to have been injured.
Residents claimed security forces intensified operations from Sunday morning, maintaining patrols throughout the day and night.
As of the time of filing this report, businesses have reopened, and movement within the community has resumed.
However, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, DSP Udeme Edet, could not be reached to confirm the incident at the time of this report, as calls to her mobile telephone went unanswered.
Normalcy returns to Benue after deadly cult clash
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