Police in Benue State have deployed more security operatives to the troubled Ojantele and Okpette communities, all in Apa Local Government Area of Benue State.
The deployment was a result of an attack on Friday by armed herders, where about 15 people were reported to have been killed.
The Police Public Relations Officer for the state command, DSP Udeme Edet, said that six bodies have been recovered from the attack.
Edet disclosed this in a statement issued and made available to newsmen in Makurdi on Saturday.
She said that the joint security teams comprising operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the military, and local youths from the affected communities immediately mobilised into the forest to carry out search and rescue operations with the aim of locating victims and apprehending the perpetrators.
“At the end of the initial operation, six (6) lifeless bodies were recovered. Efforts are ongoing to ensure the safety of residents in the affected communities.
“The Commissioner of Police in the state, Ifeanyi Emenari, assured the public that reinforcements have been sent to facilitate a more thorough and coordinated operation in the affected forests with the aim of tracking down those responsible for the attack.
“In the meantime, patrols have been intensified across the affected communities and the entire state to prevent any further attacks and to reassure residents of the continued readiness of security operatives to always confront such attacks,” the statement partly read.
Meanwhile, the State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has condemned what he described as a ‘senseless and tragic attack’ by armed herdsmen terrorists on innocent locals of Akpete/Asaba community in Ojantele Ward of Apa Local Government Area.
In a statement issued on Saturday by his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Terso lamented that the terrorists ambushed a group of innocent farmers from Ojantelle, Asaba and Akpete who had gone to their cashew farm to harvest seeds.
The governor described the incident as a terrorist act that is unacceptable and a painful reminder of the security challenges confronting peaceful farming communities in the state.
“How can you come in and attack a people who were simply pursuing their legitimate means of livelihood? My people are hardworking farmers and do not deserve such a cruel fate.
“I condemn this heinous act in the strongest possible terms. The killing of innocent Benue citizens going about their daily farm work is an assault on our shared humanity and will not be tolerated,” he stated.
Alia sympathised with the affected communities and the families of the victims over the painful loss, assuring them that the state government stands firmly with them in this difficult moment.
The governor disclosed that he had directed security agencies to intensify operations in the area to track down the perpetrators of the attack, rescue the abducted girl, and locate those still missing.
He assured that every effort was being put in place to ensure that those responsible for the atrocity are brought to justice.
The governor further reaffirmed his administration’s unwavering commitment to the protection of lives and property across the state, emphasising that no community in the state will be abandoned to violence.
He said, “Do not lose hope. My administration is working closely with security agencies and community leaders to strengthen protection around vulnerable areas.”
The governor, who prayed for the repose of the souls of the departed and asked God to grant their families the strength to bear the painful loss, assured that “we will not waver until our people are safe and can return to their fields without fear.”