Suspected bandits have reportedly killed four people during an attack at Ijaha Ikobi in Apa Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to a report by the Punch, the victims included two soldiers and natives of the community.
Quoting a native of the community who identifies as Adakole, he said the assailant invaded the community on Wednesday and laid an ambush for the community.
He said: “The incident happened around 3:30 pm yesterday (Wednesday) when some residents heard sporadic gunshots within the village.
“Some soldiers who responded to a distress call ran into the ambush laid by the herdsmen, and they killed two of them.”
He also gave the names of the villagers who lost their lives as Ocheje Ngbede Sani and Aduba Paul Ogboyi, and alleged that the armed herders also made away with the slain soldiers’ weapons.
Confirming the report, Chairman of Apa LGA, Adam Ogwola, said the incident happened around 3:30am on Wednesday.
He said: “I received a call that there was an attack in Ikobi community in Apa LGA, and when I called some people, there was no response from them.
“Later, I heard that two soldiers were killed. So this morning, they discovered the bodies of the two civilians.”
While stating that the situation is relatively calm, the chairman said that more soldiers and policemen have been drafted to the community.
Mr Ogwola also revealed that two of the victims have been buried, “because of the culture of our people, you don’t normally keep accidental dead bodies in the mortuary.
“We are in the period of hit-and-run herders. When it happens, we may not allow the corpse to stay beyond 24 hours.
“So, they have been buried while the bodies of the late soldiers have been moved from that community, but I don’t know whether they are in the mortuary in Ugbokpo or Makurdi.”
