9 feared dead as Fulani herdsmen attack commercial bus in Benue

Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, on Friday attacked a commercial bus conveying about 13 passengers from Gbajimba, headquarters of Guma Local Government Area of Benue State at Ajir village, killing nine of the occupants.

The attack, eyewitnesses said left all commuters travelling to and out of Gbajimba stranded as commercial vehicles temporarily withdrew all their vehicles on that route.

According to the source, “the occupants, who were mostly native Tiv farmers, were travelling from Gbajimba to Makurdi at about 11.00am when the heavily armed herdsmen ambushed and opened fire on them, killing two on the spot, four of the passengers managed to escape while seven others were chased into the bush by the assailants.

“Our fear at the moment was that those that were chased into the bush might have been killed because no one knows their whereabouts and their families are yet to trace them.

“The search for them is still ongoing, but we are scared that they might have been killed because if they are still alive, we would have seen at least one of them, “ he said.

When contacted, Benue State Police Public Relations Officer,PPRO, Deputy Superintendent of Police Daniel Ezeala, disclosed that the Benue State Commissioner of Police had directed an immediate investigation into the matter.

According to the PPRO, “The assailants killed one of the occupants on the spot after shooting sporadically into the bus, but our men recovered another corpse in the bush.

“The Benue state Commissioner of Police has directed an immediate search of the entire area to ensure that the missing persons are traced and rescued. And security has already been beefed up in the community,” he added.

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