7 people have been confirmed dead, others injured as gunmen invade a community in Benue State.
The gunmen, who reportedly invaded Tor Donga in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, injured a Catholic priest identified as Rev. Fr. Ajoko Micheal of St. John’s Parish Kasar and an Igbo woman, alongside three other people.
The attacks was reported to have happenep on Thursday evening, November 18.
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Four members of the recently formed Benue Community Volunteer Guards were among the seven killed, their names are: Tersoo Nyamkem, Ornyar Kwaghtagher, Ortwer Vendagough and Iorzua Joseph Denen.
Others include, Oryina Orhirga, Saidu Ado (a vulcanizer) and a young man in the vehicle with Rev. Fr. Ajoko.
Confirming the attack to the newsmen on Friday, the Chairman of Katsina-Ala Local Government, Alfred Atera said the bandits were remanants of the Azonto group.
“Bandits came to Tor Donga yesterday (Thursday) evening and killed seven persons. They killed Volunteer Guards members, injured two of them, then killed some other persons too on their way as they shot sporadically,” he said.
“Five injured persons are in the hospital including a Reverend father from Mbatseer who was going to Tor Donga. They met him (Catholic Priest), shot at him and killed the person in the car with him. The incident happened between 5 pm and 5:30 pm
“They (the attackers) are the final remminants of Azonto army because the volunteer guards said they saw one Sonter who was driving the car that they came in with. The volunteer guards blocked the road when they saw them but they don’t have anything to protect themselves so they ran away as the bandits approached.
A military source who did not want to be named also confirmed the attack to Nigerian Tribune on Friday.
“Unknown gunmen in a moving vehicle, on Thursday at about 4:40 pm at Tor Donga in Katsina-Ala local government area, forced themselves through the vigilante checkpoint along Katsina-Ala/Tor Donga road,” the source said.
The military source also added that the troops of Operation Whirl Stroke quickly swung into action after being alerted of the attack, but the bandits had escaped before they got there.
“They however recovered seven dead bodies and three wounded persons from the scene. Corpses of the dead victims were deposited at the mortuary while the injured are now responding to treatment at an undisclosed hospital,” the military source added.
Also confirming the attack, Governor Samuel Ortom said his government is working with security agencies to apprehend the bandits.
“The security agencies are tracking all those criminal elements. It was the local bandits within our state that did this one. But I can assure you that we are not going to relent. We are going to go after them and by the grace of God, we are going to apprehend them.” he said.
