From John Adams, Minna and Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Gunmen numbering well over 100, on Saturday, invaded some communities in Lavun, Wushishi and Mashegun Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Niger State, killing 17 people across the three LGAs and injuring several others.
The attack, which lasted through Sunday morning, saw the gunmen overrun about eight communities, leaving over 5,000 displaced.
Communities that were ransacked by the gunmen include Egbako, Ndaruka, Ebbo, Ndagbegi, Tshogi, Gogata and Ndakogitu, all in Lavun local government.
This is the first time gunmen would launch a major offensive on the area regarded as a-no-go area due to the people’s stronghold to their tradition.
A source close to one of the communities said the gunmen were said to have killed one person each in Ebbo, Tsonfadagabi, Tsogi and Kanko.
While at Gbacitagi village, the gunmen invaded a wedding ceremony, kidnapped the bride and one other girl, destroyed vehicles and other properties.
All the monies realised at the wedding ceremony, including other valuables were also snatched by the rampaging gunmen.
They were also said to have rustled a number of cattle belonging to the villagers.
While on their way out of the communities and heading towards Akare community in Wushishi local government area of the state, with their rustle cattle, the gunmen got stocked at Akere when they discovered that the only bridge linking the community with Akare had collapsed.
Another source close to the Akere community said the gunmen were stranded at the point of crossing with the cattle as the animals refused to enter the river.
They eventually abandoned the cattle at the Akere river bank, when all efforts to cross the animals were not successful, and decided to retreat back to the Sheshi community.
They were, however, confronted by the locals, but the resultant exchange of fire between the gunmen and the ill-equipped local vigilantes led to the killings of six people (two vigilantes and four locals).
The gunmen, according to the locals, later divided themselves into three groups, with one group at Dabban community, another group at Shegba, while the third group was said to have headed towards Ndaruka community.
The attack, however, forced the people in the affected communities to flee their homes, while those who had earlier gone to the nearby market at Batati could not return home on Saturday for fear of being attacked by the gunmen.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Internal Security, Emmanuel Umar, when contacted, confirmed the latest attacks, but said he was yet to get details of the incident.
In Mashegu Local Government, the villages attacked were Sahon-Rami, Igbede, Chekaku, Ubegi, Maishankafi and Pozhi.
No fewer than nine people were said to have lost their lives to the attack which the villagers said went on simultaneously and lasted all through the night.
The father of one of the top political office holders in Mashgun and his son were among the victims and killed in the Ubegi community.
Also killed was the Village Head of Poshi and six others in Sahon-Rami and Maishankafi.
Our source said the gunmen moved from one village to the other on motorcycles, killing and kidnapping people.
Also, at least, nine people were reportedly killed by yet to be identified gunmen in Mbacher Council Ward of Katsina-Ala Local Government area of Benue State, on Saturday.
Sources from the area disclosed that the gunmen stormed the venue of the burial of a Tax Collector, Zaki Atser Nor, and wasted no time in opening fire on mourners, killing nine people on the spot and left others critically injured.
One of our sources, who pleaded anonymity, said the attack may be a retaliation of the killing of some armed militia men loyal to the slain Benue’s militia warlord, Terwase Akwaza, alias Gana, last Thursday and Friday by troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS).
Speaking to newsmen on telephone, yesterday, Chairman of Kastina-Ala LGA, Alfred Atera, confirmed the killing, saying nine people were killed during the attack.
The council chairman said the family refused to go with security personnel for the burial, as was the usual practice, for fear of the unknown gunmen, adding that what they feared most eventually happened to them.
Atera said a Kindred Head, Zaki Isaac Vaatyouhh Gande, was among those who were killed, while the three injured people with various gun bullets were taken to a nearby clinic for first aide treatment, before they were transferred to a bigger hospital for proper medical attention.
But when contacted, Force Commander of OPWS, Maj. Gen. Kevin Aligbe, who confirmed the attack, however, dispelled insinuations that it was a retaliation of an earlier killing of some wanted armed militias by his troops.
Aligbe, who noted that there was an ongoing raid of bandits’ hideouts in the entire Sankera area, however, vowed that all perpetrators of the dastardly act as well as other criminal elements within the area would be smoked out.