Again, suspected armed herders kill two in Benue, take one hostage

Two persons were early Saturday gruesomely murdered and another taken hostage when suspected armed herdsmen again invaded Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue state.

This is coming three weeks after a similar attack in the same community claimed the lives of eight persons including a mother and her four children.

Vanguard gathered from an in-law of the abducted victim, Mr James Igbudu that the marauders struck between the hours of 6 and 7 am.

According to him, “early this (Saturday) morning I received a call from my in-laws that between 6 and 7 am armed Fulani herdsmen invaded Yelewata, Guma LGA, which is my in-laws’ home.

“From the account, the invaders killed two persons, a young man and woman and they also took my father-in-law away.

“They caught my father-in-law in the bush where he went to gather fodder for his goats. The young man that was killed was his cousin.

“This attack like others was unprovoked. They entered into the community and started shooting sporadically. The people fled from their homes; others hid from the herdsmen. The two people that were killed were those they caught up with. After the attack, they retreated into the bush.

“As we speaking selected youths in the community and myself have moved into the bush to search for my in-law. If we are lucky we may find him alive but we are still combing the bushes especially the path through which the invaders escaped.

“We have also reported the matter to the police and even the army in Yelewata but the people complained that help did not come quickly when they raised the alarm.”

Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent, DSP, Catherine Anene said she was yet to receive details of the incident.