Fresh Tension in Benue as Armed Herdsmen Strike Otukpo Again, Leaving Trail of Bloodshed
The people of Otukpo Local Government Area in Benue State are once again in mourning following a series of violent attacks by suspected armed herdsmen. The latest wave of terror struck on Wednesday, affecting three communities — Emichi, Okpomaju, and Odudaje — where at least three residents sustained injuries.
This renewed violence comes barely a day after a brutal assault on Otobi Akpa community, which left 11 people dead, including innocent children.
According to Kennedy Angbo, the representative of Otukpo-Akpa State Constituency in the Benue State House of Assembly, ten corpses were recovered late Tuesday night, with another found on Wednesday morning, bringing the confirmed death toll to 11. Sadly, several residents are still missing as search efforts continue.
Chairman of Otukpo LGA, Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the coordinated attacks, lamenting that the communities were hit while the Benue State Police Commissioner and his team were holding a security meeting with the Och’Idoma, the paramount ruler of Idoma land, over the previous Otobi killings.
“Three people were wounded in the fresh attacks, and many women and children had to flee their homes for safety. Only a few young men remained when the attackers stormed the communities,” Ogiri stated.
He added that although the combined efforts of security operatives forced the assailants to retreat, no arrests have been made yet.
Efforts to get comments from the Police Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent Catherine Anene, were unsuccessful at the time of this report.
As fear grips the region, residents are calling for urgent intervention to prevent further loss of lives and displacement of families.
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