Fresh Benue attack rises to 24

The death toll of fresh attack at Omusu Edimoga in the Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State has risen to twenty four persons.

The council Chairman, Olofu Ogwuche, confirmed this while taking the state Governor, Samuel Ortom, round the affected community on Tuesday.

The governor and members of the state security council visited the community for assessment of the situation.

Ogwuche explained that some herdsmen had reported to the police the loss of their cows some kilometres away from the affected village.

Ogwuche said he had already called a peace meeting when report got to him that the herdsmen had invaded the village and killed people.

The chairman said, “On Monday, policemen informed me that some herdsmen reported that the people of Omusu Edimoga rustled their cows.

“When I heard of this, I started a mediation process to settle the matter. It was while this was going on that I received information that herdsmen had invaded the community.

“I rushed down to the community along with policemen and we were able to recover 17 corpses which we took to the mortuary at the Okpoga General Hospital.

“This morning (Tuesday), we had recovered the remains of six persons that have been taken to the mortuary. As we were moving around, the corpse of an 11-year-old girl was recovered. So, in all, 24 persons have been confirmed dead, while some are still missing.”

At St Mary’s Catholic Hospital, Okpoga, a little boy, identified as Loko, who was shot in the buttocks and who also lost his mother to the attack, burst into tears when he sighted the governor’s entourage in the ward.

Recall that the Benue State Police Command spokesman, ASP Moses Yamu on Monday confirmed that 15 persons were killed.http://dailypost.ng/2018/03/06/15-killed-others-missing-fresh-benue-attack/

He said the herdsmen were on reprisal after the people of Omusu “maimed their cows, while two herdsmen got missing.

A mass burial of victims is expected to hold on Friday