Many residents have reportedly been killed by gunmen, who attacked communities in Gwer west and Apa LGAs in Benue state on Sunday.
According to reports, about 43 persons were killed in the attack.
The police command in Benue have not issued any official statement on the attacks.
But , chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) Timothy Kume
confirmed the attack and told Punch that they had not yet ascertained the death toll.
“It’s not that I don’t have the figure, but the one I have is old; as you know, the attack is happening nearly every day,” the newspaper quoted Kume as saying.
“For instance, the Sunday attack on Naka, headquarters of Gwer West LG, affected one pastor; he was killed in the attack.”
The gunmen, suspected to be criminal herdsmen reportedly stormed Tse Antswam, a suburb of Naka town, on Sunday around 7 pm and shot indiscriminately, leading to many casualties.
According to Amnesty International, another set of gunmen invaded another community, Edikwu Ankpali, the same time Tse Antswam was being attacked.
The rights organisation said about 85 people had been killed in Benue within one week.
“Bloodshed in Benue: 85 killed in a week. In barely a week, at least 85 people have been killed in Benue State. Last week, gunmen killed 42 people during gruesome attacks on villages of Gwer West LGA,” the organisation said.
