At least 18 residents of the Mbacher community in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, Benue State, were killed on Friday night by an armed group suspected to be bandits.
Local sources report that the incident occurred around 11 PM, despite a curfew imposed by the state government from 6 PM to 6 AM in the Sankera axis, which includes Katsina-Ala, Ukum, and Logo—an area plagued by ongoing security challenges.
Witnesses described how the armed group gathered the villagers under the pretense of addressing them before suddenly opening fire.
Confirming the incident, Chairman Justine Shaku of Katsina-Ala LGA stated that the bandits had completed their operation by the time the military arrived.
“We received a distress call from the villagers around 11 PM, reporting that a group of terrorists was moving from house to house, coercing individuals to follow them,” Shaku explained.
“We quickly mobilized military officers stationed in Tor Doonga, but due to the remoteness of the area, they arrived too late to prevent the killings.”
While initially informed that 17 had died, Shaku later confirmed that 18 residents had been killed by the attackers that gathered them in one place before committing the heinous act. Some others were also wounded.
“This morning, I, along with the assembly member and adviser on legislative matters, held a meeting and communicated these developments to the Commissioner of Police,” he added.
Describing the bandits’ actions as a ‘guerrilla type of war,’ the chairman remarked, “I no longer refer to them simply as bandits; I see elements of terrorism in their activities. To me, they are terrorists.”
He noted, “They may be local perpetrators, but they are backed by external forces that sponsor and support their violent acts.”
