The Police in Benue has confirmed the killing of eight persons in a suspected terrorist attack on a rural community in Otukpo Local Government Area of the state.
The Commissioner of Police in the State, Mr Cletus Nwadiogbu, who confirmed the incident on Sunday, said the victims comprised five adults and three children.
He said he had spent most of the day in the affected community alongside other security personnel to assess the situation and restore calm.
“We have been in the interior since morning. The network was poor because we were in the bush. Some people were killed and the youths became violent.
“We have been engaging them and they have now agreed to reopen the road. They are only waiting for water tankers to extinguish the fire,” he said.
The police commissioner said investigations were ongoing to determine whether the latest attack was connected to previous killings in the area.
“We cannot say for now whether it is connected to previous attacks or whether the terrorists simply wanted to achieve their aim,” he said.
He, however, described the incident as “purely a terrorist attack.” According to him, the attackers employed guerrilla tactics, striking the community before fleeing into nearby forests.
“They operate in the guerrilla warfare style. Once they attack, they immediately disappear into the woods, making it difficult to apprehend them,” Nwadiogbu said.
He assured residents that security agencies were intensifying efforts to track the attackers and prevent further attacks in the area.
Deadly Otukpo attacks: Alia urges security agencies to arrest perpetrators
Meanwhile, Gov. Hyacinth Alia has condemned the deadly attacks on Akpachi Village and Otukpo-Nobi communities in Otukpo Local Government Area of the state.
Alia in a statement issued on Sunday in Makurdi by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Tersoo Kula, described the attacks as a barbaric assault on human life and the peace of the state.
According to the governor, the attackers invaded Akpachi Village in Akpa, Otukpo LGA between 3:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. while residents were asleep.
He stated that scores of people were killed, while many others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Alia expressed sadness that the attacks occurred despite the government’s ongoing collaboration with traditional rulers and security agencies to enthrone lasting peace across the state.
The governor said the killings were a deliberate attempt to undermine the progress and stability of Benue.
He sympathised with the people of Otukpo and the entire Benue South Senatorial District, assuring them that the government would not allow criminal elements to overrun their communities.
“My government stands firmly with you, and we will not allow our communities to be turned into killing fields,” he said.
Alia urged all security agencies in the state to collaborate with their counterparts in neighbouring states to intensify surveillance and patrols in the affected communities and border areas.
He also urged them to track the perpetrators arrest and prosecute them.
The governor appealed to residents to remain vigilant and support security agencies with credible and timely information.
He stressed that security remained a collective responsibility and called on citizens to cooperate fully with the police and the military.
Alia also commiserated with families of the victims and wished those injured a speedy recovery.