Herdsmen have killed 14 people in a new attack on the Mchia community in Benue State’s Logo Local Government Area, according to the state government.
On the Ugba-Anyiin road in the North-Central state’s, Logo Local Government Area, sits the settlement of Mchia, halfway between Abeda and Anyiin.
Following a Security Council meeting in Makurdi, the state capital, Colonel Paul Hamba (retired), Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, verified this to journalists.
He claimed that on Wednesday night, the herders invaded the village at around nine o’clock while fully armed.
This is coming as soldiers from Operation Whirl Stroke foiled an attack on the Ortese IDPs camp in the state’s Guma Local Government Area.
Major General Kevin Aligbe, the commander of Operation Whirl Stroke, revealed this to Channels Television in an interview and claimed that the military had slain the herders during the counteroffensive operation.
The Commander said that a soldier who took part in the operation collapsed and passed away in the hospital.
“We got information about these people (terrorists) planning to attack Ortese, Nkohol and two other locations in Guma LGA on Tuesday night; and we quickly deployed that night and reinforced the places yesterday morning,” he said.
“My troops noticed where those guys were hibernating in the bush and went after them. Of course, they made contact with them. They saw them carrying their casualties and running into the bush. Coming back, one of our soldiers just slumped, he was not shot.
“He was rushed to the hospital where he was confirmed dead. We are still maintaining the trend in that axis and that is why you have not heard about any attack. We were still in Human when we heard about the Logo attack.
“The pattern of settlement of the people too is not helping us. But our troops are managing the situation in Logo. Some things had been happening around that area before now which made us conduct a weeklong operation there about two weeks ago. Even my Sector Commander had to move to the area.
“If you notice, these terrorists have killed between the to four people every three to four days. So, we needed to just clear that side. Before you know it, you will just hear that they have attacked and run away. The pattern of settlement is not also helping matters too. They go to isolated areas where they know that security is not near and they kill innocent farmers and other innocent people.”