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At least 27 people, including nine members of the same family and a two-month-old baby, were killed in coordinated attacks on communities in Benue and Plateau states over the weekend.
In Benue State, suspected armed herdsmen killed at least 18 people in separate attacks on communities in Otukpo Local Government Area, according to local officials and residents.
The violence began on Friday when gunmen invaded Akpachi village in the Ugboju community and killed two farmers on their farmland, Chairman of the Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, said.
“The bandits came and killed two of them. One escaped and alerted the community. We recovered the corpses on Saturday and buried them. We had combed the bushes believing the attackers had fled, but very early this Sunday morning, around 4 a.m., we received reports that they had besieged Otukpo-Nobi, killing several people and injuring many others,” Ogiri said.
“We are making efforts to move survivors to safer locations and ensure they receive proper care. Security has also been reinforced in the area.”
In Plateau State, suspected gunmen killed nine members of the same family, including a two-month-old baby, during a late Saturday night attack on Kum and Wereng-Camp communities in Riyom Local Government Area.
The attack began at about 11:30 p.m. and lasted for over one hour, with residents fleeing into nearby bushes.
National Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, Rwang Tengwong, confirmed the attack, saying the village head of the community was critically injured and rushed to hospital.
Resident Precious Tok said the victims were killed in their home in the coordinated attack, one of the deadliest assaults seen in the area in recent times.
Security forces have been deployed to the communities, but many residents are displaced and fear further attacks.
