At least 15 traders have been reportedly killed by armed assailants in a deadly ambush around the Ogwumogbo and Okpo’okpolo communities in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State.
The victims were returning from the popular Oweto market on Saturday evening when gunmen laid siege to the area, launching a surprise attack on the unsuspecting traders.
A former Vice Chairman of Agatu LGA, John Ikwulono, confirmed the incident and stated that many others sustained injuries in the assault.
According to Ikwulono, five of the victims were killed near a stream called Abekoko, located between Ogbayi and Ogwumogbo. One of the deceased was identified as a man known as Ali from Ogwumogbo, while the identities of the other four remain unknown at the time of this report.
The Agatu LGA Chairman, Melvin James, was reportedly attending the burial of the victims on Sunday when his phone was answered by an aide, who confirmed the killings but declined to be named. The aide alleged that the attack was carried out by armed herders.
The incident has thrown the local communities into mourning, with residents calling for urgent intervention from the government and security agencies to prevent further bloodshed in the region.