OKPOKWU – Twenty-four residents were killed and 20 others feared missing after suspected herdsmen struck again in Benue State Monday afternoon. Residents of Omusu and two nearby communities in Okpokwu Local Government Area told tuesday night that the attackers entered their villages around 4:00 p.m. Monday and carried out a two-hour deadly assault. Emergency officials described the attacks as “very brutal” and said three villages were affected, with more than 2,000 displaced persons now desperate for relief materials.
“They killed people to their satisfaction before they left,” said Attah Alexander, a resident of Omosu community. “It was deliberate and there were no policemen around to stop them.” The attackers struck despite the presence of Nigerian troops in the ongoing peace-keeping exercise named ‘Ayem Akpatuma’ or ‘Cat Race’.
