Bandits defy curfew, k!ll 18 villagers in Benue

Gunmen suspected to be local bandits have k!lled 18 people in Mbacher community in Mbacher council ward, Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State. 

The bandits who defied the curfew imposed by the state government invaded the community at about 11 pm on Friday, July 19, 2024.

Benue State Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, had imposed a curfew from 6 pm to 6 am in Sankera axis following a violent protest that rocked Ukum LGA two weeks ago.

A source further told Punch that the bandits assembled the people pretending to be addressing them when they opened fire on some of them.

18 bodies were recovered Saturday morning by the military.

The Chairman of Katsina-Ala LGA, Justine Shaku, who confirmed the incident said the bandits had concluded their operations before the military got to the village. 

“At about 11 pm yesterday (Friday) we received a distress call from the villagers that some group of terrorists mobilise themselves and were moving from house to house forcing people to follow them,” Shaku said. 

“I quickly mobilised the military officers that were in Tor Doonga and being a remote area, before they could reach there the people had been k!lled

He added that some people were wounded during the attack.

“Yesterday night, I was told it was 17 but today 18 people have been confirmed dead. All of them were assembled in one place and k!lled.

“This morning, I, the assembly member and adviser on legislative matters held a meeting and we communicated the development to the Commissioner of Police.”

The council chairman described the activities of bandits in the area as a “guerilla type of war” describing the gunmen as “local terrorists.”

“I no longer call them bandits because I’m seeing hands/elements of terrorism in their activities. So to me, I classify them as terrorists now

“But they are terrorists within though they have external forces, those who are sponsoring and helping them to perpetrate the acts. The locals are the major people doing it,” he added.

The spokesperson of the State Police Command, Catherine Anene, confirmed the attack. 

“The attack in Katsina-Ala is confirmed. Investigations have begun,” she said.