Suspected Herdsmen Attack Agatu, Kill 16

An early morning attack by suspected Fulani herdsmen have left 16 people dead in the riverine village of Ebete, Usha ward in Agatu local government area of Benue state.

A resident of the area, Ngbede Eche who spoke to The Whistler confirmed that the attackers came with a boat and started shooting sporadically into the huts in the village.

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Mr. Eche disclosed that those killed in the attack are mainly women and children

However, he could not explain whether it was a reprisal attack or an unprovoked aggression by the killers.

But according to an eye witness, Daddy Seni whose father was also killed alongside his siblings, he left his father at Ebete while heading to Aloko for fishing when he received a call from his father asking him to turn back, that he has been shot by Fulani herdsmen.

On reaching where his father was lying in the pool of his own blood about giving up, Seni said he was about rushing him to the hospital when he heard a voice from his father saying, “my son, don’t bother about me and your siblings again, ours have finished, we can’t survive these gunshots, run for your dear life to tell others about this”, then he gave up.

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The deceased son who narrated the incidence to Agatu Council Chairman Alhaji Oyigocho who rushed to Ebete with some Council members alongside security men, said he heard the killers speaking Fulani language while trying to run from the scene as he (Seni the deceased son) hid himself in the bush.

He said, among the sixteen persons that were murdered by herdsmen, three were Jukum hunters who were hunting animal before they met their untimely death while two of the Jukum hunters who did not die immediately but sustained bullet wounds were rushed to nearby hospital.

Reacting to the unfortunate incident, the Acting Chairman Agatu Local Government Council, Alhaji Oyigocho appealed to the government to quickly come to their aid, noting that this is happening at a time Nigerians are preparing to elect their leaders in the Saturday’s election.

He said if the situation continues, it will disorganize so many things.

He said his people have never taken laws into their hands despite provocations from herders whom he said had taken over farm lands in most parts of Agatu which he spoke about recently on the radio.

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The Agatu council Boss urged Agatu sons and daughters to remain calm to allow the law enforcement agencies to carry out their duties effectively.

He was accompanied to the scene by the council Secretary Hon Abdul Abdullahi, His Special Adviser on Security and political matters, Hon Edwin Eheda among other Council members alongside the security men in the area.

The area had come under series of attacks in recent times. It would be recalled that Agatu local government is one of the worst hit of herdsmen attacks in Benue, when the herders launched its first attack on the people in 2013 with several persons and valuables worth millions of naira lost.

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