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Suspected herdsmen have killed 16 persons during an attack on Ebete community in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue state.
Reports said the killers attacked the community at 1am on Wednesday, shooting residents and setting houses ablaze.
Adeyemi Yekini, Force commander, Operation Whirl Stroke, Adeyemi Yekini, confirmed the attack but was unable to give the number of casualties.
“I received a report this afternoon that some people were killed in Agatu by suspected armed bandits. I’m not sure of the number of casualty yet,” he said in a statement.
But in its report, The Nation quoted residents as saying 16 persons were killed and two injured in the attack.
Yekini added in the statement that the army had sent a patrol team to the area where the incident happened.
Governor Samuel Ortom also confirmed the incident, adding that he had raised an alarm earlier.
His Chief Press Secretary, lterver Akase, told journalists the governor has met with the police over the incident.
His words: “I can confirm that the governor of Benue State met earlier today with the commissioner of Police Mr. Bishi and he confirmed that there was attack in Ebete in Agatu earlier today in which seventeen persons were killed by suspected armed herdsmen.
“We feel that this is unfortunate because the governor has raised an alarm that some persons for political reasons are planning to unleashed armed herdsmen on innocent Benue people, to create fear in the people for political gains.”