The Benue State Police Command has confirmed the killing of 17 individuals following coordinated attacks by armed herdsmen in the Logo and Ukum Local Government Areas of the state.
According to a statement released on Friday by the Command’s spokesperson, Catherine Anene, the attacks occurred on Thursday evening in the Sankera axis of the state, affecting the Gbagir area of Ukum and parts of Katsina-Ala in Logo LGA.
“On Thursday at about 2100hrs, information was received that a large number of suspected militia had invaded the Sankera axis of Benue State with the intention to attack communities around Gbagir, Ukum Local Government Area,” the statement read in part.
Anene explained that following an order from the Commissioner of Police, Hassan Yabanet, tactical teams were immediately deployed to the area to reinforce those already on the ground.
“Following this order, a team of officers moved to the area and engaged them. While the attackers were being repelled in the early hours of today, they shot sporadically at unsuspecting farmers as they came across them,” she stated.
She added that a simultaneous attack occurred in Logo, where 12 persons were killed before police could arrive at the scene. “Unfortunately, an unsuspected simultaneous attack was carried out in Logo, where twelve (12) persons were killed before the arrival of the police, making a total of seventeen persons,” she said.
According to the police, the casualty figure includes five victims from Gbagir who were confirmed dead at the hospital.
The statement also carried a warning from the Commissioner of Police to social media users. “The Commissioner of Police, Hassan Yabanet, has warned social media users to desist from reporting unconfirmed information that is capable of inciting the general public and creating unnecessary tension in the state,” Anene noted.
She added that the police remain committed to restoring peace in the affected communities. “The CP is committed to fighting the attackers and encouraged the people of Sankera to continue to cooperate with the police as the operation is ongoing,” the statement read.
Benue State has long been plagued by violent attacks, often attributed to armed herdsmen. SBM Intelligence previously reported that over 300,000 people have been displaced due to ongoing conflicts in the state.