Several people, including a soldier, were reportedly killed by suspected bandits in separate attacks in Kwande and Apa Local Government Areas of Benue State.
According to residents of the affected communities, the attacks were carried out between Saturday and Sunday.
It was said to have taken place in Udedeku community of Maav-Ya, Mkoonmom District of Mbaikyor Council Ward, Turan Jato-Aka and Ochumekwu in Kwande and Apa LGAs respectively.
It was gathered that several people were reportedly killed and many others missing when the bandits invaded Udedeku community in Kwande.
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The Force Commander, Operations Whirl Stroke, Major General Sunday Igbinomwanhia, confirmed the killing of one of his men while speaking to newsmen in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, on Monday.
Igbinomwanhia said: “Suspected armed bandits have attacked soldiers deployed in Ochumekwu, Apa LGA, killed one personnel and wounded one.
“The troops in response killed three and injured several of them.
“They recovered one AK47 and rounds of ammunition from them.”
Speaking on the Kwande attack, Igbinomwanhia said he could not confirm the killing in the area, but stated that troops were currently carrying out a clearance operation to flush out suspected armed foreign bandits who had invaded the LG.
The spokesperson, Benue State Police Command, Catherine Anene, said she only heard that some “people” invaded Kwande forest and not that there were killings.
“What I heard was that some people invaded the forest in Kwande but I didn’t hear of killing,” Anene stated.