No less than five people were feared dead following an attack on Anter Mbalagh community in the outskirts of Makurdi, the Benue state capital.
The attack, according to reliable sources, was perpetrated by armed herdsmen.
Aside from those who lost their lives, the attack, the sources said injuries on dozens of other people, while others reportedly left their home for safer abodes in neighboring communities in the state.
On storming the village, the assailants who arrived in large numbers started to shoot sporadically, a development that plunged the community residents into panic.
Terkimbir Orbakpa, Kpungu Orbakpa, Ave Usaar, Aondogu Aku and Temanenge Kyer were identified as those feared dead.
Three victims of the incident have, however, been buried while the search for the remains of two others was ongoing.
“The attack was unprovoked, the armed herders just stormed the community late in the night at about 12:30am and started shooting. People ran for their lives. Three corpses were recovered in the morning of Tuesday and buried and two others who they must have killed in the bush have not been seen but the search for their bodies is ongoing because if they were alive they would have been seen,” the source was quoted as saying.
Confirming the incident, Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Colonel Paul Hemba (retd.) said he had recorded two deaths in the attack.