Unidentified herders attack Benue market, killing 18

In the Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, eighteen people were killed by alleged herders in various communities.

Ukohol and the surrounding villages were reportedly attacked by suspected herders on Thursday.

One local, Jonah, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal said the intruders were herders.

He said, "Yesterday (Thursday) at around 5pm, which was a market day, they came to Ukohol community and shot at people from different directions, leading to people scampering for safety."

Mike Ubah, the chairman of the local council, confirmed the incident, saying that 18 bodies had been found.

A group of armed herders attacked his village of Ukohol, killing at least 10 people, he said. The worst part is that they also murdered infants and toddlers. They continued on to three other settlements, killing eight more people there for a total of 18. While only eight were killed in the villages as the herders returned from the market, ten were slain there.

The quick response of the security personnel prevented disaster. There would have been more casualties if they had waited. A market day had arrived. There, they opened fire on the place. They are currently attempting to force people out of their villages in order to take control of them. The black-clad herders showed up. "All 10 of Guma's wards on the city council are impacted, and not a single village has been spared.

Catherine Anene, the state police spokesperson, was contacted and confirmed the incident but said no further information was available at this time. "Incident confirmed but no details yet," he said.