Herdsmen killings: Benue youths barricade road, kill 6

Usman Haruna

Herdsmen killings: Benue youths barricade road, kill 6

Benue youths on Thursday barricaded the Npayango Federal Highway in protest over the reported attack and killing in Tse Igba Uke and Aliade villages in Gwer Local Government Area of the state by suspected herdsmen on Wednesday night.

It was learnt that the youths killed six persons during the protest, leaving travellers stranded along the highway, which is a major route to the southern part of the country.

The Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP. Joel Moses, confirmed that six persons were killed by the youths, adding that the command had to use “minimum force to disperse the protesters.”

He said, “The youths barricaded the Npanyango Road and also killed six motorists who they suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, so we had to deploy our men who used minimum force to disperse them.”

Moses could not give the number of suspects arrested in connection with the disturbance, saying policemen were still at the scene of crime.

He said the suspected herdsmen carried out the attack on Wednesday night, following an attack on their cattle by some youths of the village.

According to him, the corpse of the villager killed by suspected herdsmen had been deposited at the Aliade General Hospital and the injured receiving treatment in the same hospital.

The police spokesman, however, warned against jungle justice.

(PUNCH)