No fewer than five persons have been confirmed dead following a fresh attack by terrorists on Ortese community along the Igyungu Aze–Yogbo road in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
The attack, which occurred on Tuesday, left several residents injured, while many others were reportedly abducted and taken to unknown locations.
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Local sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the death toll could rise, as several residents remain missing and youths in the area are conducting search operations in the surrounding bushes.
Those whose bodies have so far been recovered were identified as Solo Uchi from Tse Hagher, who was killed on his farm; Alhaji Iorlaha from Orogbo; and Tersoo Uker from Tse Uker, all communities in Guma LGA. Two other bodies were said to have been recovered later in nearby bushes.
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A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, described the incident as terrifying.
“What we have seen so far is frightening,” the source said. “They attacked us on Tuesday, just two days after a similar attack on Daudu, where two people were killed. So far, five bodies have been recovered, but we believe more may still be found because many people are unaccounted for.”
Residents alleged that the terrorists barricaded the Ortese–Yogbo road, ambushing victims both on the highway and in nearby bushes as people attempted to flee.
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“They blocked the road completely and started shooting,” a youth leader in the area said. “Some people were killed instantly, while others ran into the bushes where they were chased.”
Several residents were reportedly captured alive and taken away, raising fears over their safety.
The attack has thrown Ortese into panic, forcing many residents to flee their homes.
“Our people are no longer safe here,” another resident said. “Families are running because we do not know when the attackers will return.”
Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer in Benue State, Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful. Calls to her phone were not answered, and messages sent were not returned as of the time of this report.
Part of a pattern of attacks
The latest violence comes less than a week after similar attacks along the Yogbo–Udei axis and other flashpoints in Guma LGA, where at least four persons were reportedly killed.
Speaking earlier, Tivta Samuel, Guma youth leader and security analyst, said the terrorists ambushed internally displaced persons who had gone to fetch firewood along the Yogbo–Udei road.
“On Monday, December 15, about 20 armed attackers ambushed IDPs at Tse-Nyamkume village,” Mr Samuel said. “One victim, Kenneth Gbayier, an indigene of Mbalagh, was killed. His body was later recovered and buried by his relatives.”
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Mr Samuel added that the attackers spoke Fulfulde and targeted women during the assault.
“Some women were captured and tortured before being released, while others are still missing,” he said. “Fear has forced many families to flee deeper into the bush.”
He also recalled another incident on Saturday, 13 December, when terrorists attacked travellers along Ajimaka Road in Guma, killing two commuters and a security operative escorting them.
The incessant fatal attacks on Benue are some of the reasons the US government claims there is a Christian genocide in Nigeria, as the majority of the residents of the state, and thus the majority of the victims, are Christians. Also, the attackers are often Fulani, the majority of whom are Muslims.
A US congressional delegation, including Congressman Riley Moore, recently visited Benue as part of its official visit to Nigeria to discuss the security situation in the country.
The Nigerian government has, however, rejected the claims of a Christian genocide, saying various factors cause the insecurity in Nigeria.
However, for residents of the affected Benue communities, all they want is for the government to perform its primary duty of protecting the lives and properties of citizens.
“We are tired of burying our people,” one community leader said. “If nothing is done, this violence will not stop.”
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