Eight people have been killed and five others injured after armed assailants attacked the Otukpo Nobi community in Benue State shortly after the burial of an elderly resident.
The Benue State Police Command said the attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday, following the funeral rites of 80-year-old Adaje Okoh.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, the assailants stormed the community at about 6:00 a.m., shooting indiscriminately at residents.
“The Command received a distress call reporting that armed assailants invaded the community shortly after the successful conclusion of the wake and burial rites of the late Mr. Adaje Okoh,” Edet said.
She disclosed that eight people lost their lives during the attack, while five others sustained varying degrees of injuries. The attackers also set some thatched houses and a motorcycle ablaze before fleeing the area.
The police spokesperson said the Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, immediately led tactical teams and other security operatives to the community to restore normalcy and prevent further violence.
“The Commissioner of Police has condemned the attack and assured residents that the Command is committed to identifying, arresting and prosecuting those responsible,” Edet stated.
She added that the injured victims were taken to a medical facility in Otukpo for treatment, while the bodies of those killed were deposited at the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Otukpo.
Edet noted that investigations into the incident had commenced, with additional tactical and operational personnel deployed to the affected community and other vulnerable areas to strengthen security.
She also revealed that security was reinforced around the area following protests by some aggrieved youths in the aftermath of the attack.
The police appealed to residents to remain calm, avoid taking the law into their own hands, and support ongoing investigations by providing credible and timely information.
“Residents should continue with their lawful activities. Adequate security measures have been put in place to protect lives and property,” the police spokesperson said while extending condolences to the families of the victims.
Meanwhile, the Benue State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has denied any involvement of its members in the attack and called for a thorough investigation into the incident.
