Suspected terrorists have returned to Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, killing at least 13 people.
The attack on Anwase Market in Mbaikyor ward came barely days after a similar deadly assault on Abande community.
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The latest attack occurred on Friday at the bustling market, where the assailants opened fire on traders and residents, abducted several market women and set shops and stalls ablaze.
Channels Television first reported the incident, quoting local officials.
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An aide to the Kwande Local Government chairman, Ibi Andrew, told Channels TV that 13 persons were confirmed dead, adding that the council chairman, Vitalis Neji, alongside security agencies, moved to the area to restore calm and prevent further violence.
Witnesses told PREMIUM TIMES that the attackers emerged from a nearby mountain and descended on the market, shooting sporadically and causing traders and buyers to flee in panic.
“They came from the mountain, shooting everywhere. People ran in different directions. After that, they started burning shops and taking some women away,” one trader said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Residents said several women were abducted during the attack, while families were still searching for missing relatives as of Friday evening.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Edet Udeme, did not answer calls or respond to messages sent to her phone.
Fresh attack after Abande killings
The Anwase market attack came two days after the one on Abande community, also in Kwande LGA, where at least five people, including a mobile police officer, were killed on Tuesday.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the Abande attack occurred on a market day, with the gunmen looting shops and setting parts of the market on fire. An Assistant Superintendent of Police attached to the 13 Police Mobile Force was among those killed.
A community leader and former supervisory councillor in Kwande, Lawrence Akerigba, had said the attackers robbed the traders of millions of naira before torching the market. Several residents were also reported missing after the attack.
Worsening security situation
Residents of Turan district told PREMIUM TIMES that repeated attacks in Kwande have forced many people to flee their homes, spreading fear across surrounding communities.
“The situation is getting worse. People are no longer safe in their farms or markets. We are living in fear,” a resident said.
READ ALSO: Police officer, civilians killed as terrorists attack Benue community
The renewed violence in Kwande adds to the broader security crisis in Benue State, which has witnessed repeated attacks on rural communities, markets and security operatives in recent months, despite assurances by the state government and security agencies that operations have been intensified.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official police confirmation of the Anwase market attack, while residents continued to call for urgent and sustained security intervention to halt the killings.
