In a brazen act of violence, at least 18 residents of Mbacher community in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, Benue State, were brutally murdered by an armed group suspected to be bandits on Friday night. This massacre occurred around 11 p.m., despite a strict curfew imposed by the state government from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. across the Sankera axis, which encompasses Katsina-Ala, Ukum, and Logo, areas notorious for their persistent security challenges.
Eyewitnesses reported that the assailants cunningly gathered the villagers under the guise of addressing them, only to unleash a hail of gunfire. The attack was swift and devastating, leaving a trail of bloodshed and grief in its wake.
Confirming the incident, Chairman Justine Shaku of Katsina-Ala LGA revealed that the bandits had completed their heinous operation before military forces could intervene. “At approximately 11 p.m. yesterday (Friday), we received a distress call from the villagers, reporting that a group of terrorists was moving from house to house, coercing individuals to follow them,” Shaku recounted. “I quickly mobilised the military officers stationed in Tor Doonga, but due to the remote location, they arrived too late. The damage was already done.”
The chairman further disclosed that initially, the death toll was reported as 17, but by morning, it had risen to 18. Many more were injured in the ruthless assault. “All of them were assembled in one place and killed,” Shaku lamented.
In an urgent meeting held the following morning with the assembly member and the adviser on legislative matters, the tragic development was communicated to the Commissioner of Police. Describing the escalating violence in the region, Shaku remarked, “I no longer call them bandits because I’m seeing elements of terrorism in their activities. To me, they are terrorists now. They are locals, but they have external support, those who are sponsoring and aiding them in their acts of terror.”
Efforts to obtain a statement from the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Catherine Anene, were met with silence. Despite requesting text messages, she had yet to respond to the inquiry at the time of this report.
The chilling defiance of the curfew by these bandits underscores the dire security situation in Benue State, calling for urgent and decisive action to restore peace and protect the lives of innocent residents.
PIONEER NEWS 