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No fewer than five people have been killed after bandits invaded two communities in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.
Locals claimed that two soldiers were among the casualties, but security agencies are yet to confirm this.
According to residents, the affected communities, Mgbaigbe and Mbaitye, were attacked on Wednesday by gunmen who stormed the area in a coordinated assault.
The attackers were said to have ambushed a military surveillance team in the area, allegedly killing two soldiers in the process.
Several villages in Turan land, including Moon, Mbaikyor, Mbadura, Kumakwagh, and Yaav, have suffered repeated attacks in recent times, forcing residents to flee to Jato-Acka, where they are now taking refuge.
President General of Mdzough U Tiv Worldwide, Retired Comptroller of Prisons, Iorbee Ihagh, confirmed the attack to our correspondent on Thursday, urging residents to defend themselves against the bandits.
“These attackers, who are Fulani herdsmen, are gradually taking over Benue. If they succeed in capturing Jato-Acka, the headquarters of Turan, then the entire Tiv nation is in danger. Jato-Acka is the ancestral home of the Tiv people, just as Ile-Ife is to the Yoruba,” Ihagh said.
He commended Governor Hyacinth Alia for his developmental strides but urged him to step up efforts to secure lives and property in the state.
Ihagh also called on the Tiv people to revive their traditional defence mechanisms.
“In the 19th century, our ancestors defeated the Fulani during the jihad war using poisonous arrows. I am calling on our people to go back to their traditional ways and defend themselves. Enough of running away,” he declared.
Confirming the incident, Special Adviser to the Governor on Security and Internal Affairs, Joe Har, said efforts were ongoing to verify the casualties.
“Yes, I heard about the attack in Kwande, but I cannot confirm the number of casualties because I have been unable to reach the military commandant in the area due to poor communication networks,” he said.
When contacted, the spokesman for the Benue State Police Command, Catherine Anene, neither confirmed nor denied the incident.
“We have officers managing the crisis in Kwande,” she said.
The attack adds to the wave of violent incidents that have plagued Benue communities in recent times, with residents calling for urgent government intervention.
