BREAKING: Gunmen invade Benue community, kill 18 in fresh attack

Gunmen suspected to be bandits invaded Mbacher community in Mbacher Council Ward, Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State on Friday night, resulting in the deaths of 18 people.

Sources from the local government informed our correspondent that the attack took place around 11:00 pm, despite a curfew imposed by the state government.

The bandits reportedly gathered the villagers under the pretense of addressing them before opening fire.

Two weeks ago, the Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, imposed a 6:00 pm to 6:00 am curfew in the Sankera axis following a violent protest in Ukum LGA. The Sankera axis, which includes Katsina-Ala, Ukum, and Logo, has been a hotspot for criminal activities in the state.

The military recovered 18 bodies on Saturday morning, according to local sources.

Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Katsina-Ala LGA, Justine Shaku, stated that the bandits had completed their attack before the military could arrive.

“At about 11:00 pm yesterday (Friday), we received a distress call from the villagers that a group of terrorists were moving from house to house, forcing people to follow them. I quickly mobilized the military officers in Tor Doonga, but due to the remote location, the attack was over by the time they arrived,” Shaku said.

Shaku also mentioned that several people were wounded during the attack.

“I was told it was 17, but today 18 people have been confirmed dead. All of them were assembled in one place and killed,” he added.

The council chairman described the activities of the gunmen as “local terrorism,” noting that their tactics resemble guerrilla warfare