BENUE, Nigeria – No fewer than 18 individuals, including women and children, were brutally killed, with many others severely injured, in an attack on the rural community of Iye in Guma Local Government Area, LGA, Benue State.
The attack was reportedly carried out by armed herdsmen on Sunday, May 21, 2023, instigating shock and terror that rippled through the community.
The assailants, suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, were reported to have stormed the village around 6 p.m., just as the local market was bustling with activity.
Eyewitnesses recount gruesome scenes of beheading and burning of both victims and their homes.
Amid the chaos, food barns were also set ablaze, potentially leaving survivors to grapple with food shortages in the aftermath of the assault.
A community member, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed the heart-wrenching loss of his brother during the onslaught.
“They killed over 18 people, including my brother. They also injured several others, and burnt down many houses including some of the victims,” he told our correspondent, his voice heavy with sorrow and disbelief.
He further lamented the irony of their situation, stating, “This attack is unfortunate because we were displaced from our village, Tse-Orvihi, Uvir Council Ward of the same Guma LGA and my family members took refuge at Iye, where they now came and killed my brother on Sunday, May 21, 2023.”
The timing of the attack heightened its devastating impact. The village was teeming with life due to the local market day, making it an easy target for the marauders.
Christopher Waku, the Security Secretary of Guma LGA, confirmed the timing of the attack, specifying that the incursion occurred between 6 and 7 p.m.
“This village, Iye, is not far from the JS Tarka University in Makurdi. It’s terrifying to think how close this violence is getting to places of learning and development,” Mr. Waku said.
Julius Alawari, the Benue State Commissioner of Police, also confirmed the attack. While seven bodies have been recovered from the scene so far, the death toll is expected to rise.
He acknowledged the joint efforts of Operation Whirl Stroke, the police, and Volunteer Guards in confronting and repelling the attackers.
“One of the attackers was also killed,” Alawari added, pointing towards a small victory amidst a tragic loss.
This horrifying event adds to a series of similar attacks that have been plaguing the region, fuelling an urgent call for improved security measures to protect innocent lives.
