At least three security operatives were killed and 16 others injured following an attack by suspected armed herdsmen on Yelewata community in Benue State late Friday night.
Reports on Saturday indicate that the assault left several individuals with varying degrees of injuries. The total number of fatalities is yet to be confirmed, as authorities continue to gather details from the scene.
Security forces from the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were deployed to the area in response to a distress call. However, while on their way, they were ambushed in Daudu. The ambush resulted in the deaths of two soldiers and a Civil Defence officer.
Survivors of the attack are currently receiving treatment at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) in Makurdi. Medical personnel have issued an urgent appeal for blood donations to help save the lives of those injured.
Authorities say investigations and recovery operations are ongoing, and further updates on casualties are expected.
Meanwhile, THE RADARR reported earlier that Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has blamed some religious leaders for contributing to the ongoing insecurity in the state, describing them as “religious bandits.”
Speaking in Makurdi on Thursday while addressing pro-Tinubu/Alia youth support groups gathered at the state government house entrance, Alia said the leaders in question were using their religious platforms to spread discord and hinder peace efforts.
“There are some self-acclaimed leaders who only fan the embers of discord so that peace does not return to here. There are some religious leaders, I call them religious bandits who are fueling the bad experiences we are having here. And how they support that.”
“By their own rhetorics, by what they speak; if you don’t have the facts on Benue and Nigeria, shut up! Don’t just say something because you have the holy alters or the podium to speak.
Benue indigenes have reacted to Governor Alia’s comment, urging him to prioritize governance and focus on ensuring the safety of lives and property, rather than getting distracted.
