Nine days after the inspector-general of police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, upgraded Ayilamo Police Station in Logo local government area of Benue State to a Divisional Police Station, armed men suspected to be herders have invaded Tse Mku, in Ayilamu community, Tombu Council ward, killing four farmers on the spot.
A community member who identified himself as Eder Nyitamen told our correspondent on phone that the attackers who came in their numbers in broad daylight attacked farmers, destroyed their crops and other properties worth millions of naira, adding that the invasion also forced surviving community members to desert their settlements.
However, the police public relations officer Udeme Edet, who confirmed the killing in a statement, said two persons lost their lives in the attack.
She said, “Concerning this incident, two persons sadly lost their lives. Meanwhile, police tactical teams have already swung into action, and the investigation is ongoing.”
Given the update of the attack, a community leader, Joseph Anawah, in a telephone conversation, explained that two farmers Kaananfam Nyamikume of Tse Jigam village and Mson from Guma were killed on their farms.
According to him, “a drug vendor and one Saaondo Azaye of Tse Azaye were also killed in the attack.”
He said, “The suspected armed herders after killing people on their farms, invaded homes and set most settlements ablaze.”
The community leader maintained that residents of Ayilamo and its environs who went into the bush in search of missing persons recovered two bodies near Tse Uza settlement, while others are still missing.
“The attackers were said to have been camped at Tse Ibor, Tse Ukpukuru, and other deserted settlements within the Mbawien clan, which has brought panic and tension among locals despite the recent police restructuring aimed at curbing persistence attacks on the state farming communities,” he said.
Benue State Police Command last week announced the creation of two new area commands and the upgrading of five police stations in the state, including Ayilamo, Yelwata, Jato-Aka, Okpokolo, and Agan, to divisional police stations. These measures aim to enhance surveillance and quick response.
