Big fear as Military, herdsmen exchange bullets in Benue

The joint military Operation Whirl Stroke troops at the early hours of Friday reportedly engaged suspected armed militant herdsmen in fierce gun battle in Anyiibe in Logo Local government area of Benue State.

It was gathered that the armed herdsmen had sneaked into the area from neighbouring Nasarawa state and set up a camp in the area preparatory to launching an attack on the community when the troops were alerted of their presence.

When contacted, Commander of the military operation, Maj. Gen. Adeyemi Yekini who confirmed the development said his personnel responded swiftly to a distress call from the area and after a gun duel dislodged the armed herdsmen.

Gen. Yekini said, “our troops conducted an overnight operation during which an open camp set up by some armed herdsmen along River Benue bank at Anyiibe was destroyed.

“Some of the armed elements that attempted to cross back into Nasarawa state got their boat capsized during the exchange of fire. It is therefore likely that the armed group might have suffered some casualties during the encounter.

“Our troops that participated in the operation did not sustain any casualty and no civilian was killed during the incident contrary to the rumours of purported civilian casualties,” he added.

The latest development is coming just when persons displaced as a result of the lingering crisis were being encouraged to vacate the various Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camps and return to their ancestral homes.

(Credit; Saturday vanguard)