2 Students, Mourner Shot Dead In Benue

A mourner and two students of Government Science Secondary School, Jato Aka in Kwande local government area of Benue State have reportedly been shot dead.

The killings, allegedly by personnel of the Nigerian Army have heightened tension in Jato Aka where residents were fleeing insecurity in the area.

A community leader who spoke to our correspondent via telephone on condition of anonymity said, the incident occurred Tuesday afternoon “when we were returning from the burial of the kindred head of Nzaav, Yaav Council Ward, Turan District Chief Hanave Laha.”

He explained that the soldiers that were stationed in the area ordered one of the mourners to lie down and he obeyed their order.

According to the source, those who witnessed how the mourner was being maltreated by the soldiers took to their heels out of fear “and the soldier opened fire on them and the bullets hit some of the students who were returning from school.

“Two of them died on the spot alongside one of the mourners identified as Iorsuur.”

He explained that the incident occurred when most students had closed from school.

“The development has brought fear and tension in the area where students of the affected schools took the corpses of their mates around Jato-Aka town calling on the federal and state governments to intervene by bringing the perpetrators of the dastardly act to book.

He added that victims who injured in the process were currently receiving treatment at NKST Hospital, Jato Aka.

An Army source who was not authorized to speak to the media told our correspondent that the affected students were killed by armed bandits who on sighting their personnel opened fire on them.

He said the two students and the mourner were shot during a gun battle between the troops and bandits.

Efforts to speak with the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Benue State Command failed as she was neither picking nor returning calls and did not reply to text messages sent to her.