Gunmen kill three in Plateau as security agents deny complicity

Herdsmen murder one, injure scores in Nasarawa, Benue loses N400b to attacks
Unknown gunmen ambushed and killed three people last Sunday at Kwall Junction in Bassa Local Council of Plateau State, while several others were injured on their way from the farms.Also last week, suspected herdsmen reportedly killed some Irigwe people of Bassa, even as security operatives denied complicity, but failed to respond to the attacks.

National President of the Irigwe Development Association (IDA), Sunday Abdu, who confirmed the incident yesterday said: “They ambushed the victims at Kwall Junction, killed them and went away with their motor bikes.”

Spokesman of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Major Adam Umar, who confirmed the incident, however, said when their personnel on duty received the report, they immediately mobilised to the scene of the incident.He added that the attackers had fled before his men got there, after killing two persons and injuring a man who was immediately moved to an hospital by the operatives.

In a related development, a Tiv farmer has been feared killed and one declared missing following herdsmen attack in the early hours of yesterday at Gadabiu Village in Obi Local Council of Nasarawa State.

An eyewitness in Lafia said the victims who were in company of other farmers were surrounded in their farmlands by suspected Fulani herdsmen and butchered.He said the incidence happened about 6:45am on Tuesday.However, attempts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) at the state command failed. The attack is coming after a truce between the Tiv and Fulani herdsmen in the state.

During a visit to the State, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had assured all fleeing Tiv people to return to their homes because the Federal Government had put security in place to end the killings.

Meanwhile, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has disclosed that the state had lost over N400 billion worth of property to renewed militia herdsmen attacks on Benue communities since 2015.

Ortom said this while interacting with journalists on the achievements and challenges of his administration in the past three years at Government House, Makurdi.He noted that the estimate was arrived at following preliminary report of assessment of the damages caused by the crisis, stressing that the losses were much and difficult to recover from.