Sunday, 23 May 2021: Suspected Fulani herdsmen in the early hours of Friday stormed Tse Ancha in the Agan community of Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State killing the kindred head and eight other people. CEOAFRICA gathered that police authorities have since confirmed the attack.

The attack is coming few hours after the victims of the Abegana IDP camp were buried. According to a local source, the casualties in the community would have been more but for the prompt response of some youths who were vigilant in a nearby village and mobilized themselves to rescue the community.

Chairman of Makurdi LGA, Anthony Dyegeh, who confirmed the attack stated that the suspected herders could have wiped out Tse Ancha and moved to neighbouring villages but for the swift response from the youths who mobilized themselves and confronted the herders.

“The quick intervention of the youths of the community who mobilized and repelled the attackers saved thecommunities from being wiped out because they came in their numbers and were obviously out to kill more people, sack the community, and march into neighboring villages.

“Luckily at the time of the attack, there was a wake keep at a nearby primary school on Makurdi-Lafia road, for a member of the Benue Livestock Guards, who was killed within that same community at Tse Iyagwa village. And because they are displaced from the village, the wake keep was held at a primary school.They (suspected herdsmen) operated in a commando fashion and about 10 minutes they disappeared. The attack happened around 11:55 pm Friday and eight people were killed and five injured and they have been taken to Teaching Hospitalamong those killed is the kindred head of the village.

“The kindred head was among the people that accompanied me yesterday (Friday) to the burial of the seven people that were killed at Abagena IDP camp. We parted around 9.00 pm only for him to be killed at fiveminutes to midnight alongside others”

According to the Chairman, the slain kindred head’s burial will be arranged by traditional rulers in the area. Meanwhile, three of the deceased would be buried later in the day as their bodies were battered and the other four will be buried on Sunday.