8 people killed by ramming gunmen in the Kogi community

The gunmen are said to have started the attack in a supermarket in the community’s central area. They assassinated the salesperson and three other people in the store.

Fearful residents reportedly began running helter-skelter to avoid being hit by the sporadic gunshots that rang out throughout the night. Several other victims were said to have died as a result of stray bullets, while many others were injured.

The gunmen vanished without a trace, leaving the residents fearful of future attacks.

According to one source, the invasion is linked to a nearly ten-year conflict between three dominant groups in the area. In 2014, the conflict resulted in communal clashes that claimed dozens of lives and property.

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According to the source, the conflict between Agatu militias and Fulani herders from Benue state has forced many people to flee their homes.

According to him, the same shop, which belonged to Musa Salifu, one of the sons of an embattled Onu Otutubatu Alhaji Salifu Anyebe, was attacked about five months ago, and he was wounded by gunshots.

William Aya, a spokesman for the Kogi State Police Command, confirmed the breach of peace, but claimed that normalcy had been restored in the area. Police have launched a manhunt for the perpetrators of the violence, he added.

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Bagana is a riverine community with a population of around 10,000 people. In the past, it was a major trade center with John Holt’s shop. The Olusegun Obasanjo administration started building a bridge across the Benue River from Bagana to Kuto in Nasarawa State. The bridge has been closed since then.