Bandits kill two IDPs in Benue

Bandits have killed two IDPs on their farms in Umogidi community in the Entekpa Council ward in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State. 

Locals who spoke to journalists on Thursday, April 11, 2024, said two other farmers were injured, and another was abducted by the bandits.

It was gathered that the victims recently fled their ancestral homes due to a similar attack but decided to go to their farms in Umogidi when they were killed on Tuesday, April 9. 

The other three were also said to be in their farms when the bandits attacked them and took away one of them while the other two were reported to have been injured.

“The bandits are now demanding N5 million as ransom for the kidnapped victim. All of these victims are IDPs who went to get food in their farms and were attacked by the same armed herders who chased them away from home in the first place,” one of the locals said. 

The caretaker chairman of Otukpo LGA, Alfred Omakwu, said the victims were IDPs who went to farm on Tuesday but were attacked.

He added that the bandits again attacked another village, Upu, in Otukpo on  Wednesday but were repelled by soldiers who engaged them in a gun battle from afternoon until 7pm.

“The IDPs are camped in St. Charles Primary School, while most of them as they are going to their farms to fetch farm produce, rented one room for their family to stay in Adoka central,” he said. 

“They (victims) left Adoka where they were taking refuge and went to their farms at Umogidi when they were attacked. Two of them were killed.

“Yesterday (Wednesday), there was another attack in Upu village. They (armed invaders) opened gunfire in the village, the soldiers were there, so they engaged them and chased them to the bush. They exchanged gunfire till 7 pm, and they (armed invaders) ran away. There was no casualty.”