Herdsmen kill 2 children, others in fresh attacks

Two attacks carried out by suspected herdsmen in Guma and Agatu local government areas of Benue State on Sunday, March 25, 2018, has led to the death of four people, including two children.

According to a report by The Punch, herdsmen attacked a group of seven boys in the Agatu area of Olegobiudu and killed two of them, with one later found beheaded.

A native said, "The children, whose ages were between 10 and 15 years, had as usual gone to the stream in the community when they were attacked by herdsmen.

"Some of the children rushed home to tell the people of the invasion by the herdsmen and by the time we got to the stream, the herdsmen had fled but we met the lifeless bodies of the kids. The head of one of them was cut off."

Herdsmen were also reported to have attacked and killed another two residents of Tse Samaka in Guma LGA during the weekend.

The state's Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, confirmed the killings during a meeting with the leaders of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) on Monday, March 26.

He said, "We had an incident just yesterday (Sunday); two persons were killed in Agatu but we have responded swiftly to douse tension, we are working closely with other security agencies to ensure the crisis does not escalate. Also, some bandits have killed two persons in the Guma area on Sunday which makes us to reinforce in the area."

He also revealed that one herdsman was reported killed at Lower Benue, a suburb of Makurdi, on Saturday, March 24.

Benue's herdsmen crisis

Benue has been troubled by violent killings this year as a spate of attacks by suspected cattle herders have led to the death of over 100 victims.

At least 24 people were killed during a recent attack carried out on March 5 by herdsmen in Omusu Edimoga, a village in Okpokwu Local Government Area of the state.

The bodies of 73 men, women and children were buried at a mass burial ceremony organised by the state government on January 11 after several attacks by cattle herders.