Attacks in Benue, Katsina by Rampaging bandits claim 15 lives

In the Ukoosaa-Atam community in the Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State, ten people are said to have died on Monday once more.

Locals claimed that the attack was a retaliatory move by one of the rival bandit groups.

This happened when bandits attacked Sayaya town in Katsina State’s Matazu Local Government Area early on Monday morning, killing five people, injuring two more, and kidnapping five more.

Remember that last Friday, 15 bandits from Ukum LGA in Benue State lost their lives in a struggle for dominance between rival organizations Chain and Full Force.

Information leaked out that the bandits had started attacking innocent individuals in retaliation for last Friday’s battle for supremacy.

In a phone conversation with our correspondent on Tuesday, a resident of Ukoosaa-Atam claimed that the gunmen killed innocent people while riding motorcycles.

The local, who wished to remain anonymous, stated, “On Monday, some local bandits rode to Ukoosa-Atam, the headquarters of Borikyo council ward, Ukum LGA, which is a kilometer after Ayati town.”

“All of the passengers and the driver were killed when the gunmen assaulted a keke NAPEP (tricycle). In addition to attacking the nearby homes in the community, the gunmen, who were on motorcycles, opened fire randomly. Ten bodies were discovered at the conclusion of the day.

“The community has been the target of several attacks,”

According to a different local, “there have been numerous attacks within the local government since Chain and Full Force (rival groups) fought over supremacy last Friday.”

The locals demanded that security be provided in the Ukum LGA by the federal and state governments.

“We request that the federal and state governments handle security, and that they also help those whose homes have been destroyed.”

The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, responded that she was out of town when called.

However, state Security Advisor Joseph Har asserted that Governor Hyacinth Alia was making every effort to bring peace back to Ukum LGA and the state as a whole, and that the government was aware of the situation there.

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The administration is making a significant effort to address the state’s security issues, especially those related to the Sankera axis, according to Har. The carrot-and-stick strategy is what we’re going to employ.

Residents of Sayaya town in Katsina State’s Matazu Local Government Area reported that shortly after midnight, bandits ambushed the town in large numbers and opened fire, leaving five people dead.

However, it was reported that police officers approached the criminals after receiving a distress call.

Abubakar Aliyu, the spokesperson for the Katsina State Police Command, verified the event on Tuesday.

He claimed that on November 6, 2023, at approximately 12:55 a.m., a group of robbers assaulted Sayaya village in the Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State. The bandits used AK-47 rifles among other weapons and occasionally fired shots.

“As soon as the news was received, agents were dispatched to the area and successfully repelled the bandits’ onslaught by engaging them in a gunfight.

On the other hand, the attackers shot five individuals dead, injured two, and abducted five others. The wounded were taken right away to the hospital so they could receive emergency care.

Although efforts are being intensified to ensure the rescue of the kidnapped victims unharmed and the arrest of the perpetrators of the dastardly act as the investigation proceeds, Aliyu added that the state commissioner of police, Aliyu Musa, expressed condolences to the families of those affected by the attack.