A wave of sorrow and fear swept through Gbagir community in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State as suspected killer herdsmen reportedly launched a deadly early morning attack on worshippers heading to church for Good Friday services, killing at least ten people and injuring many others.
According to a local source who spoke with reporters, the attackers, allegedly armed with AK-47 rifles, stormed the community around 6:00am on Friday, targeting residents as they made their way to church. Among the dead are reportedly women and children, with at least 25 others sustaining various degrees of injuries.
“The herdsmen invaded the neighbouring community of Chito on Thursday and killed two people,” the source revealed. “Then today, they attacked us in Gbagir and killed 10 more people. Many others are wounded—about 25 of them—and we don’t know how many are going to survive.”
Residents, in a display of grief and protest, were seen transporting the corpses of the victims to the palace of the traditional ruler, expressing their frustration over what they described as the government’s failure to protect them.
“We feel abandoned,” the source lamented. “In all these attacks, no government security personnel came to our aid. We are left to bury our dead and tend to the wounded alone.”
Repeated efforts to reach the Benue State Police Command for comment were unsuccessful as the command’s spokesperson, CSP Catherine Anene, did not respond to calls.
The latest attack adds to the growing list of violent incidents linked to suspected herdsmen in the state, further deepening concerns over the security situation in rural communities across Benue.
