At least two people have lost their lives in a renewed attack on Akpete community in Apa Local Government Area of Benue State after an attack by suspected armed herdsmen.
The attack, which occurred on Friday evening, also left several residents injured, while others were reported missing as fear and confusion gripped the area.
A resident of Akpete said the assailants first entered the community around midday but were confronted by local youths, forcing them to withdraw temporarily.
“They came around 12 noon but our youths stood up to them. Unfortunately, they returned around 6pm in much larger numbers and began moving from house to house looking for people to attack. By then, most residents had fled,” he said.
According to the source, the attackers later killed a man who had returned briefly to his house to pick up personal items and also burnt his motorcycle.
Another resident was reportedly killed in a nearby location during the second wave of the attack.
The deceased were identified as Matthew Ochanga and Isaac Adanu. The source added that many others suffered serious injuries.
“The truth is that we are tired of these attacks. Many of our villages have been deserted. They want to take over our ancestral land. Our people can no longer go to their farms to produce food, and we have become helpless.”
Meanwhile, the Benue State Police Command confirmed receiving reports of an attack by suspected armed Fulani herdsmen on Edikwu Icho, also within Apa LGA, but stated that the incident was successfully contained.
In a statement issued by the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Udeme Edet, the police said officers from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) were quickly deployed to the area, bringing the situation under control.
“The attack was repelled through the efforts of operatives of the Benue State Police Command attached to the Rapid Response Squad.
The general security situation in Apa Local Government Area remains calm,” the statement said.
The police further revealed that reconstruction of the bridge linking Ugbokpo, Idogbu, Ochumeku and Ikobi communities previously destroyed by suspected herdsmen was ongoing.
According to the Command, the reconstruction “is being carried out under heavy security presence.”
In a separate but related incident, police operatives reportedly intercepted a suspect transporting ammunition in Ukum Local Government Area on the same Friday.
DSP Edet said the suspect, identified as Saamoga, also known as Aleki, was arrested at Tse Dubem following intelligence reports that he was conveying live ammunition on a commercial motorcycle from Gbagir to Zaki-Biam.
“A search conducted on the suspect led to the recovery of 117 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition concealed inside socks within his handbag,” the statement noted, adding that charms and a mobile phone were also recovered.
The suspect was said to have sustained a gunshot wound while attempting to escape arrest and later died while receiving medical treatment at the General Hospital, Zaki-Biam.
She disclosed that preliminary findings indicated the ammunition was being transported to Taraba State.
The Benue State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, praised officers involved in the operations for their professionalism and assured residents of the Command’s resolve to sustain proactive, intelligence-driven policing across the state.
He also appealed to the public to remain calm and continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible information to enhance crime prevention and detection efforts.
Two killed, many injured as suspected herdsmen launch fresh attack on Benue community