By Sunday Ogli, Makurdi
Gunmen suspected to be armed Fulani herders, on Tuesday invaded Ondo community in Ugboju district of Otukpo local government area of Benue State, killing the community youth chairman identified as Sunday Ogoh and injured many others.
The latest attack comes just 48 hours after the armed herders attacked Akpachi village in Ugboju district and Otukpo Nobi community in the same Otukpo local government area and killed 18 persons then wounded scores.
It was gathered that the attack happened in the early hours of Tuesday resulting in outbreak of crisis in the area.
It was further learnt that the the persistence attacks had left many communities in Ugboju district deserted as several people have fled the area.
The executive chairman of Otukpo local government area, Prince Maxwell Ogiri confirmed the attack to journalists on phone, saying one person was killed.
Ogiri also, said security agencies repelled the attackers and are still combing the forest in search of the bandits.
He however dispelled rumours of a widespread crisis in the area, stressing that security agencies have restored normalcy in the area.
“There is crisis in Ondo but it is not too much. It was repelled, after the loss of an indigene. The combined security agents are combing the forest in search of the bandits.
“The situation is calm when they saw that security agencies were responding with immediate effect, there is a lot of calm now”, Ogiri said.
When contacted, the Benue State Command Police Public Relations Officer PPRO, DSP Udeme Edet, confirmed the fresh attack, saying that one Sunday Ogoh, the youth chairman of Ondo community was killed, while the Ward head of Ondo community and many others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
