NO fewer than 18 persons were feared dead, with many sustaining injuries in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State, as suspected Fulani herdsmen sacked over 24 communities and villages in the area, including Anyii, the home town of Governor Gabriel Suswam.
Vanguard gathered from an eyewitness that the marauders laid siege to the area late Sunday night, shooting, burning houses, huts and farmlands in the affected communities.
The eyewitness said: “The crisis started days back, but in this particular instance, we had all gone to bed when we were suddenly woken up by the sounds of gunshots and heavy movements around our villages by Fulani herdsmen.
“In the midst of the confusion, many of us managed to escape with our families. Unfortunately, many who could not make it out were either gunned down or hacked to death by the invaders.
“As I speak to you, our villages have been occupied by these people; we fear that well over 18 persons must have been killed and many more are still unaccounted for.
The latest attack forced Governor Suswam to pay an unscheduled visit to the area, yesterday.
When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent John Bako, said he was yet to receive any briefing on the matter.
Bako, however, said: “In the last two weeks, there have been skirmishes there between herdsmen and the natives. We have deployed our men to the area to maintain peace and efforts are being made to talk to the feuding parties.”
It was gathered that the herdsmen had, in the last few weeks, staged sustained attacks on most of the communities in the area bordering Nasarawa State on the banks of River Benue, before launching the latest attack in the heart of the town.
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