Bandits attack Benue communities, kill soldier, residents
“Deadly Attacks by Suspected Bandits Claim Lives in Benue State”
Tragedy struck Kwande and Apa Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Benue State over the weekend as several individuals, including a soldier, fell victim to separate assaults reportedly carried out by suspected bandits.
The assaults, which occurred between Saturday and Sunday, targeted Udedeku community in Kwande and Ochumekwu in Apa LGA, leaving a trail of casualties and chaos in their wake.
According to local reports, the Udedeku community in Kwande bore the brunt of the violence, with numerous casualties reported and several individuals currently unaccounted for.
Confirming the incidents, Major General Sunday Igbinomwanhia, the Force Commander of Operations Whirl Stroke, disclosed that suspected armed bandits launched an attack on soldiers deployed in Ochumekwu, Apa LGA, resulting in the death of one soldier and the injury of another.
General Igbinomwanhia reported, “Suspected armed bandits have attacked soldiers deployed in Ochumekwu, Apa LGA, killed one personnel, and wounded one. The troops in response killed three and injured several of them. They recovered one AK-47 rifle and rounds of ammunition from them.”
In response to the attack in Kwande, the OPWS Commander mentioned that troops were engaged in a clearance operation aimed at flushing out suspected armed foreign bandits who had infiltrated the LG.
While acknowledging the invasion of the forest in Kwande, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Catherine Anene, stated that she had not received reports of any fatalities at the time of her statement.
