Two weeks after the violent Zaki Biam protests that resulted in three deaths and widespread property damage, gunmen suspected to be militias have launched another devastating attack in the Mbacher council ward of Katsina-Ala Local Government Area (LGA) in Benue State.
The attack occurred early Saturday and left 18 people dead, three others kidnapped, and properties worth millions of Naira destroyed. Additionally, two individuals were injured, and many residents have been displaced out of fear of further violence.
A local source reported that the militias arrived in large numbers and opened fire indiscriminately. The Caretaker Committee Chairman of Katsina-Ala LGA, Justine Shaku, confirmed the incident, stating that soldiers had received intelligence about the attack but were unable to intervene in time.
Shaku described the situation: “Yes, I can confirm that 18 persons were killed and two others wounded by ‘terrorist’ bandits in my local government area. We received a distress call from the villagers that a group of terrorists mobilized themselves and were moving from house to house, forcing people to follow them. Some were wounded. Initially, we were informed that seventeen people had died, but today, it has been confirmed that eighteen persons were killed. All the victims were assembled in one place and murdered.”
Shaku also reported that kidnappings had occurred before the recent attack, including the abduction of an Igbo man and his two children. He noted a resurgence in kidnappings in the area, with several recent incidents.
The Benue State Police Command has confirmed the attack. Spokesperson Sewuese Anene stated in a text message that an investigation is underway and that normalcy has since returned to the affected area.