The Police Command in Benue has confirmed the attack on three communities in Guma Local Government area by suspected armed herders in which dozens were killed including five armed herders gunned in an exchange of fire with troops.

Confirming the attack to newsmen on Sunday in Makurdi, the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Catherine Anene, said the attack happened on Saturday night.

She said that the command had yet to establish the number of casualties in the onslaught.

Anene, however, said that normalcy had been restored in the affected communities by troops of the Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), who repelled the attack.

Efforts to get reactions from Maj.-Gen Adeyemi Yekini, the Force Commander, OPWS, however, failed, as he referred all enquiries to the Information Directorate, Defence Headquarters (DHQ).

One of the locals, who simply gave his name as Jonah, said on telephone that the attackers had invaded three villages in the local government area.

Jonah named the villages as Torkula, Kponko and Kaseyo, all in Mbadwem council ward.

He said that the invaders stormed the villages and started shooting in all directions, thereby killing people and injuring others in the process.

“As soon as the troops of the OPWS heard about the attack, they swiftly went on the trail of the invaders and sighted them in the bush.

“In fact, there was a fierce exchange of gunfire between the troops of the OPWS and the armed herdsmen during which five of the herdsmen were killed, but with no casualty on the side of the troops,” the source said. NAN