Bandits strike Benue again, kill 30, others missing
Thirty people have been reported dead following an attack by bandits on Ayati village in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State. The attack took place on the evening of Thursday, 8th August 2024.
An eyewitness, Shima Ayati, who spoke with Channels Television, reported that more than 60 bandits stormed the farming community, shooting indiscriminately. Although 30 corpses have been recovered, the death toll is feared to be higher as many residents are still missing.
“They came on motorcycles from Sai road on Thursday evening and immediately opened fire on residents of Ayati village.
They were hunting people from one house to another, shooting and killing many. Some died on the spot, while others succumbed to their injuries on the way to the hospital in Zaki Biam,” Ayati recounted.
The bandits reportedly burned houses before fleeing the scene through Sai road. Ayati mentioned that more bodies might still be in the surrounding bushes as many villagers remain unaccounted for.
READ ALSO: Bandits attack Kaduna communities, kill 6, abduct 26
Ayati village is part of the Sankera axis in Benue State, an area that includes Katsina-Ala, Logo, and Ukum Local Government Areas and is notorious for such violent attacks.
This is the second time in a month that Ayati has been targeted, with six people killed in an earlier attack that led to protests in Zaki Biam last month.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police Sewuese Aneene, confirmed the attack but could not provide a precise casualty figure, citing incomplete information from the police response team on the ground. “I’m aware there was an attack, and I’m waiting for a briefing from officers on the ground,” she said.
The ongoing violence in Benue has severely impacted the region’s agricultural productivity, contributing to the rising food inflation in Nigeria, which recently exceeded 40%, according to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics.
